💬 Xavi Simons exclusive: 'I want to win the biggest trophies' | OneFootball

This evening Xavi Simons will be in action when the Netherlands take on the Republic of Ireland in a Euro 2024 qualifier.

The 20-year-old – on loan at RB Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain – is now a fixture in the Dutch national team, which shows how meteoric his rise has been over the last year.

OneFootball sat down with the talented youngster to discuss his recent development and goals for the future.

You’ve been in Leipzig for about four months now, your market value has exploded, you’re a key player for a Champions League team in one of the best leagues in Europe. You must be over the moon with how things are going?

I am enjoying my time here, I am enjoying playing with my team-mates and playing every two days. That’s really good, that’s why I am here.

Did you expect this development to happen this quickly?

I am a player that adapts really quickly to these new situations. I expected this for myself, yes. Maybe other people didn’t expect this, but for me it has to be done like this.

Looking at the stats you have assisted three goals of Loïs Openda already, leading the league in that statistic (as of 10th November 2023). Coincidence? Or is there a special relationship on the field?

We have a really good French group in the team. With Loïs it is especially easy to play on the pitch together. He is a fast player that can finish the passes I give him. We are really enjoying playing with each other.

Being 20 years old you have experienced a lot of different playing styles, Barcelona, PSG, PSV Eindhoven, now Leipzig. How did that influence you in your development?

Every team gave me a lot of things. They all have a different style of playing, a different type of thinking. I was at Barcelona at a young age, went to Paris and started to experience professional football. Then I went to Eindhoven and to Leipzig to show my quality to the world. Now I am playing at the highest level, and playing twice a week helps me to keep improving. The same for the national team. It is a dream come true.

Many players struggle with a new team, a new league. You on the other hand thrived immediately at PSV and now Leipzig. Why is that? Are you just more adaptable?

My personality is like this, I want to learn really quick how a team and the other players are working. That really helped me quite a lot. Obviously I also speak a lot of languages, and that helped me as well.

It is similar with your positions. You’ve played left wing, right wing, central midfield and even as a striker at times. Where do you feel most at home?

I grew up in the midfield, so that is the position that I like the most. At PSV I played on both wings and I enjoyed that as well. I like to take on my opponents one against one, score goals and assist. So, I would say I can play in every position.

Speaking of home, you have also lived in four countries already, you speak four languages, how have these experiences shaped you?

At home our culture has always been Dutch or Dutch/Surinamese. I have lived in Spain and France and those are different cultures for sure. Now being able to be here and to learn German is good for me and for life in general as well.

How good is your German already?

I understand a little bit. I understand what our coach says, and I am learning every day a bit more, just by listening to my team-mates talk. Also, I am taking classes, of course.

You’ve also begun to establish yourself as a Dutch international player, what differences do you see playing for your country and playing for a club?

When you are with a club you know your team-mates better. How they think and how they move. In the national team you only have one or two weeks to play with the guys. Obviously, that is harder, but I think you need to adapt and I know I have to improve in the national team as well.

Marco Rose recently said that he might have to give you a couple of breaks/some rest soon since you are playing so much. It is the first time for you playing this much, how do you feel about the challenge this presents?

At PSV I already played nearly every game of the season. I am a guy that can play a game tomorrow, regenerate well and then play another game two days later and be fit to play another 90 minutes. I understand what the coach is saying, he wants to protect me sometimes, but if it was up to me, I would be playing every game.

We’re here at a Puma event, how important are your boots in all of this? On the one hand with your playing style, on the other helping you stay agile on the pitch playing every three days.

For sure, being comfortable in a shoe is really important to me. I talked a lot with Puma about the boot, we did quite some things and now it is feeling really good. I enjoyed playing with the Puma King and it is a pleasure to be playing with these new shoes now.

What do you hope to achieve in your career?

I want to achieve everything, I want to be the player that I can be. I want to be on the top level for a lot of years and be able to win the biggest trophies. That is the most important goal for me.

This interview was conducted in association with Puma.