The 23-year-old’s performance in his patchy squad this season will surely please Mark Robins, who defeated Leeds in the competition to recruit the full-back from SC Heerenveen.
Van Ewijk has faced challenges juggling his position between right-midfield and right-back, but the Netherlands under-21 international has shown remarkable poise in this regard and looks set to make another significant shift shortly.
Van Ewijk excels in Coventry.
Van Ewijk is one guy that Robins has been able to count on this entire season. He has been a mainstay in the Sky Blues lineup, missing just three games this season. After two amazing seasons at Heerenveen, €4 million is starting to seem like a better deal every day.
Despite Coventry’s unimpressive beginning, he was among the team’s better players and netted his first goal with a magnificent thirty-yard free kick into the bottom corner against Watford. After a run of passable games, he truly started to show his true colors in November, contributing a lot of goals and developing a great relationship with Japanese winger Tatsuhiro Sakamoto.
Van Ewijk has been put in a more advanced role after the Coventry manager changed the system due to Sakamoto’s injury in late February, despite his outstanding performances. The recent FA Cup semi-final between Manchester United and the Netherlands youth international, when he faced England star Marcus Rashford, saw the Dutch youth international adjust well and play brilliantly.
Van Ewijk told Ziggo Sport after the game, “I kept Rashford under reasonable control.”
Naturally, though, there are times when he demonstrates his abilities. Luckily, I had a strong match. I can walk home with my head held high because I demonstrated who I am today,” he continued.
If Sakamoto’s injury hadn’t occurred, Coventry City may have been chasing a play-off spot instead of hanging onto one.
In terms of statistics, Van Ewijk has excelled.
The 23-year-old is an extremely gifted football player, as seen by watching him play in person, and the statistics definitely support this. According to FBref, he is among the top 15% of full-backs in terms of goals and assists, progressive carries, and progressive passes received.
He is not just good at moving forward, but he can also make a play on defense. achieving all tackling and interception-related metrics in the top 30 percentile. This was never more apparent than in the game against the Red Devils, where he generated three opportunities for his team from right wing-back while making two effective tackles.
He is in the shop window for the semi-final.
A memory from the FA Cup that will last a lifetime is the incredible comeback that Coventry so nearly accomplished.
It was a chance for many City players, including Van Ewijk, to establish themselves on the grandest platform. Many scouts from elite teams would have taken note of his outstanding performance when facing up against Rashford, and it is quite possible that they would show interest in the young player this summer.
He’s only 23 years old, so there’s still a lot of room for improvement, and his contract expires in 2026, so he might fetch a high price. Sporting Lisbon and Leeds are both interested in the full-back, so it wouldn’t be shocking if one of them made a strong offer to get the Sky Blues star to go.
The Premier League may also be interested in him, and a team that uses a three-back formation might be drawn to his versatility. Two teams who might be a perfect fit and be able to pay a sizable amount for a player of Van Ewijk’s caliber are Wolves and Crystal Palace.
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