Marselino Ferdinan: Pacey “number ten” wants to “play tricks” with young teammates

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Scoring a decisive goal in a derby is certainly one of the most emotional moments a footballer can experience in his career, apart from winning titles. If it also falls into the category of a “wonder goal” and is also the first goal in professional football, it will probably remain unforgotten forever. This is what happened to Marselino Ferdinan.

The 17-year-old Indonesian came on in the 67th minute for Persebaya Surabaya against Arema FC on Matchday 11 of Liga 1 Indonesia – his ninth ever appearance for the first team. Three minutes later, when his team was trailing 2-1, the attacking midfielder took heart from 30 metres out to smash the ball against the bottom of the crossbar for an unstoppable equaliser. The youngster’s emotions were clearly visible in the celebration that followed, and it was difficult for him to hold back tears of joy after his first professional goal.

It will almost certainly not be the last goal for Ferdinan, who is one of the biggest talents in Indonesia. The right-footed midfielder signed his first professional contract with Persebaya as a 16-year-old in the summer, having already trained with the first team since the beginning of the year. In October, he was named in The Guardian’s Next Generation list of the world’s 60 greatest talents.

“Marselino Ferdinan is a player with many skills and very good ball control, as well as an exceptional mentality. He has demonstrated this with outstanding performances at club level and in the U23 national team. What makes him so special is his intelligence with and without the ball and his vision, which often makes the difference on the pitch. He has a lot of pace, but can still improve defensively,” Rimohardi Widodo, TM area manager Indonesia, explains.

Ferdinan first came to attention in 2019 when he scored seven goals for the Indonesian U16 side in the Asian Cup qualifiers. At Persebaya, he now finds the perfect conditions to acclimatise to the men's level despite his young age. The sixth-placed team has the second youngest squad in the league, with an average age of 24.7.

Head coach Santoso: “Very impressed” by Ferdinan & Co. on debut

Head coach Aji Santoso is a great supporter of young players and gives them the time they need. In April, for example, he called up five players aged 20 or younger for the match against PSS Sleman – and helped Ferdinan to make his debut. Even though the match was lost 1-0, the 51-year-old (quoted via Greenforce.co.id) was satisfied after the final whistle: “I said from the beginning that I wanted to play with young players. They impressed me a lot, especially in the first half we were able to control the game. I am very satisfied.”

Ferdinan made a lasting impression on the coach with the carefree attitude he showed on the pitch. He described himself and his young teammates as “kids playing tricks on the pitch.” Thanks to his appearances for the first team, the 17-year-old received his first market value of €75,000 in June. If Persebaya’s performances continue, his market value is likely to rise steeply soon. The current leader among Indonesian footballers is Dutch-born Marc Klok with €475,000 – a mark that does not seem impossible in view of Ferdinan’s potential.

From December 1 to 24, we introduce new players from different countries born in 2004. Area managers, users, and data scouts come into play as experts throughout the series. You can follow all those players by adding them to your TM watchlist.