The son of a former Champions League winner has signed his first professional deal for a club in his native Netherlands.
An attacking midfielder, the 18-year-old began his career at the same academy as his famous father, DHSC, in their shared hometown of Utrecht.
But after transferring to Utrecht’s academy, the starlet has featured a number of times for the under-19s during the 2024-25 campaign.
The player will now play for Jong FC Utrecht, the junior team of the Eredivisie side, which competes in Dutch football’s second division.
‘This is a dream come true,’ the player said upon signing. ‘Since joining the FC Utrecht Academy, I’ve worked hard to reach this moment.
‘Signing my first professional contract feels like a reward, but also the start of a new step. I want to continue developing and, first and foremost, play as many minutes as possible with Jong FC Utrecht next season.’
But Jessey Sneijder will hope this is the first step of a journey which sees him equal or even exceed the achievements of his famous father Wesley.
This year marks 15 years since Sneijder helped Inter Milan secure their famous Treble under then-head coach Jose Mourinho, with the midfielder providing one of the assists in their 2-0 final against Bayern Munich at the Bernabeu.
Before joining the Italian giants, Sneijder had served distinguished spells at boyhood club Ajax and Real Madrid.
But it was in blue and black that the Netherlands international would achieve his greatest triumph, with the star coming fourth in 2010’s Ballon d’Or standings for his role in winning three major trophies in Milan.
That year also saw Sneijder reach the final of the World Cup, with only one goal in extra time for Spain stopping the Oranje from bringing home the trophy.
Spells at Galatasaray, Nice, and Qatari side Al-Ghafara followed for the player, who retired in 2019 to work with the club his son has signed for.
Sneijder Jnr’s contract will aim to keep him at the club until 2028, and his father was brimming with pride as he shared his congratulations publicly.
‘I am so very proud of you,’ Sneijder wrote on Instagram. ‘Go to FC Utrecht at teh age of 15, and sign your first contract after three years!
‘Your perseverance and willpower have been rewarded.’
