Tijjani Martinus Jan Reijnders Lekatompessy is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club AC Milan and the Netherlands national team.
Born in Zwolle, Reijnders is the son of Martin Reijnders, and the brother of Eliano Reijnders who are also professional footballers.
Despite not having any Nigerian ancestry, he is named after Nigerian footballer Tijani Babangida who was a big name in Holland while playing for Ajax Amsterdam from 1996 to 2003
The player confirmed this while expressing how his parents were captivated by Babangida’s playing style, particularly his speed and flair, which prompted them to name their son after the esteemed Nigerian footballer.
“There is a football player from Ajax His name is Tijani Babangida and my parents liked his first name and that is, ” Reijnders said in a viral video on X before the start of the Euros.
Reijnders received his first official call-up to the Netherlands national team in June 2023 for the 2023 UEFA Nations League Finals and on the 7th of September 2023, Reijnders made his Netherlands debut as a substitute in a 3–0 win over Greece in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier. On 13 October, he made his first start as the Netherlands were defeated 2–1 by France in the same competition.
He scored his first senior international goal in a 4–0 win over Scotland at the Johan Cruyff Arena on 22 March 2024.
The 26 year old is currently representing the Dutch national team at the ongoing European Championship in Germany.
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