Elijah Dijkstra

Elijah Dijkstra grew up in the AZ Alkmaar academy after arriving from Fortuna Wormerveer, and the club rewarded that development with a five-year professional contract signed on his eighteenth birthday. He made his senior debut for AZ on 27 February 2025, coming on in a KNVB Cup semi-final against Heracles Almelo, where he scored three goals in 26 appearances during the 2024–25 season.

By the 2025–26 season the defender had become a regular starter in the AZ first team. He played the full 90 minutes as AZ beat NEC Nijmegen 5–1 to win the KNVB Cup, and he opened the scoring in the 4–0 win over PSV Eindhoven that brought the club the Johan Cruijff Shield.

Dijkstra's progress has run in parallel at international level. He came through the Dutch youth ranks, featuring at the 2023 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, before playing a key role for the Netherlands Under-19 side that won the 2025 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Romania, beating Spain 1–0 in the final. He has since been called up to the Netherlands Under-21 squad for qualifiers for the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.