Elijah de Ruiter

Elijah de Ruiter made his ADO Den Haag debut in November 2024, against FC Eindhoven, having come through the club's youth ranks after arriving in 2022. He signed his first professional contract with the club in March 2025, running to 2027. The route there began at Excelsior Maassluis, before eight years in the Feyenoord academy shaped him into a right-back, though it was at ADO Den Haag, working through the under-17s and under-19s, that he forced his way into the first-team picture.

Since his debut, de Ruiter has built up 42 senior appearances for ADO Den Haag and scored twice, one of those goals proving decisive in a 2-0 win over Helmond Sport. A right-footed defender standing 176 cm, he wears the number 10 shirt at a club still playing in the lower reaches of Dutch football, a number that stands out for a full-back but reflects the role he has carved out in the side.

He has yet to add a first cap for any Dutch national youth side, his development so far confined to club level. For a player who spent the bulk of his youth career inside two academies before this move, the step up to regular first-team football at ADO Den Haag has been significant.