Football Daily - In Focus with Justin Kluivert and Kelly Somers

Episode Date: May 3, 2025

As Bournemouth continue to push for European football, midfielder Justin Kluivert speaks to Kelly Somers about his season and career.He tells us about playing with the famous Kluivert name, and his footballing brothers. And the Dutchman explains how he’s settled on the South Coast.And we find out why Kluivert thinks he should be in the Guinness Book of Records. 00:10 The appeal of Bournemouth 02:55 Being Patrick Kluivert’s son 08:30 Andoni Iraola's influence 19:00 His hopes for the futureBBC Sounds / 5 Live Premier League weekend commentaries: Sat 1500 Everton v Ipswich, Sat 1730 Arsenal v Bournemouth, Sun 1200 Man Utd v Man City in the WSL on Radio 5 Sports Extra, Sun 1400 Brighton v Newcastle, Sun 1400 Brentford v Man Utd on Radio 5 Sports Extra, Sun 1400 West Ham v Tottenham on BBC Sport website, Sun 1630 Chelsea v Liverpool.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. This week, Matt sits down with team principal Christian Horner. You don't want to miss that. Watching him drive the car is a little bit like Roger Federer at the top of his game. So he'll be here driving for Red Bull next season. Experience F1 like never before by tuning into the inside track wherever you get your podcasts. Music Radio Podcasts. Justin, the sun's shining. We're pretty much in the best part of the country when it's like this. You've got this amazing new performance centre. And what a season for you and the team. Tell me what it's like being a Bournemouth player right now. It's beautiful, you know, to have reached

more points than even last year, to break a record again. Still five games left, it's just beautiful. If you see also the players, the level that we got at the moment is just incredible and it's beautiful to play for a club with, I always said, ambition that they have. You see the training ground, that speaks for itself and the players that we have at the moment, I think those players Bournemouth didn't have had in the past and that's just so beautiful to have and it feels good. You've been here for two years, was this what you were sold, this dream, this ambition that's

kind of playing out now in front of us? Yes, actually. We spoke a lot about the training ground. That's a big part for me to move here also. And what I said, the vision of the club was so good that I believed in it. And I saw myself also being a part of that. So I'm just so super happy to be here. I read that you said it was love at first sight for you with this club. What appealed to you so much?

Just the will for them to attract me to this club directly from the beginning. They came to me, they knew what they wanted and they didn't sell me lies, you know. They sold me this and they gave it to me and they sold me many more other things and they backed it up. So I did my part and they did their part and it's just I think a very good match in the way that I am in my career at the moment and this club I think is just beautiful too, just a perfect match. Taking you back to the very beginning, you're from a family of football, aren't you, really? Your grandfather, your dad, now your brother's player as well.

Was there ever any other path, any other career for you? No. Couldn't be, couldn't be. And I'm thankful for it that it has came out like this, because since I was young, this was my goal, my dream. So yeah I haven't never thought about something else actually because when I was when I turned 17 I made my debut at the first team at Ajax and I'm super thankful for that so yeah as a young guy already making it up to the first team is

something special so yeah beautiful. It feels lazy to ask about your dad, but you do wear Cliver on the back of your shirt. Proudly. And he must be such a big influence on you. What was it like growing up, and even now, what's it like having him as a dad? No, it's always beautiful. What I said, if he was a tenniser, I would want to be a tenniser for sure. But he was a football player, so I really wanted to be a tennis player for sure, but he was a football player so I really wanted to be a football player. And it's special, he has made a lot of steps in his career that I actually also made, so there's a lot of comparison in that. So it's just something special because it's not a lot of times that happens, so it's something special.

Footballers have children, they don't all become professional footballers. You've managed to. Does it bring pressure? Has it brought pressure? It does, of course. But I always saw that as a motivation also. It gave me the hunger even more to show why I'm good. And not only because I have the name Klyvart on my back for sure. Since I was young, people always were wondering, is he actually good at football? You always

have those questions, or is he just there because of his dad? That just made me hungry even till this day. Pressure is how diamonds are made. That's how you can shine. That got the best out of me for sure. I don't know if people are aware that your brothers are actually footballers as well. Are they like you? They are. Like I'm the smallest one actually, you know. My dad is also quite big and my brothers are quite big.

And I got a brother also playing in Portugal. He's a defender. I always say because he is the youngest of the three with the same father and mother, he always had to run behind the ball. So that's why he became defender. And I'm proud of him, you know. I'm proud of all my brothers. It's something special so it's really in the genes for sure. What was it like at home then? Was it always constantly football? Always, always, always. Nothing else. What I said, I have brothers and we had friends but we

didn't need them. We had each other so we played every day with the ball and that's just something beautiful to have shared with them for sure. You mentioned Ajax already. What a place to kind of be brought up. What was that like for you? Because I imagine even now there's principles, there's things that that place taught you. IEX is for sure the best academy that there is in Holland, maybe in whole Europe, one of the best. So to be brought up in that environment is something special that has learned me, especially dedication, you know, you've got to be, every day you've got to be doing the same. So that learned me a lot. And yeah, I just learned a lot there, you know.

And it was tough, it was tough also, because every year you can also, you have like a conversation and they can say, okay, you can go to the next team or you got to go away. And that just, you've got a pressure of, from eight years old all the way to the top. So that's quite tough. I read somewhere that you said that one of your coaches said to you as a group only one or two of you will make it did you know from that moment or did you think I have to make that be me? I remember that yeah and I will never forget that for sure and I remember looking around me and and and

and I was like oh my gosh there's a bunch of good footballers here. I don't know if that was me. And that made me like a bit... I think from that point really, it made me really realise like you need to do everything really good, you know. And not only in the field, because at school we had to do also good, or else we had problems at the club also. So that's what again, the dedication comes into place. It's not only about the football, it's about the school,

it's about coming on time always, your attitude. So learn a lot for sure. It's not just Ajax that you've been at as well. You're 25 years old as we stand here today and you've played for so many different clubs, haven't you really? It's been a remarkable journey to get here. It is, it is, it is. And I'm super thankful for that. You know, I've been around a lot of places, not the worst places,

south of France, the south of Spain, you know, Valencia. Oh, no wonder you came to Bournemouth. The south, always the south where the sun is. So I'm thankful for that. And I've learned a lot through my career already. And I'm 25 and I feel like I've learned a lot through my career already and I'm 25 and I feel like I have still a lot more in my backpack to show. So I'm thankful, I'm still fresh, young and I've been through a lot so it's only good

for me to keep elevating on the line that I'm at this moment for sure. I often ask this to footballers and they always say yes. Was the Premier League always the aim? Is it one of the best leagues in the world? As a footballer does it kind of draw you in? Yes, yes. Is it true? It's not just a cliché? It's really football, like also if you are in the youth of Ajax you're like oh I want to play in the Premier League. Still even at Ajax? Yeah for sure, for sure. That's the Premier League for footballers that's like the best there is and that will stay for that, I think, for always.

So I'm thankful to be here for sure. So in 2023, when Bournemouth came calling, it was the Premier League firstly. It was a club that really wanted you as well, but you'd had a few loans. Did you feel like you were at the point of your career where you needed a home, a bit of stability? Yeah, exactly. And that's why I say Bournemouth came at the exact moment in my career and very quick in the market. So I was like, I go on my feeling and my feeling was so good that I told my agent, like, let's not waste time, you know,

and just we go for this. And I feel it's going to become something good and that that has turned out to be so and we still continue with that journey for sure. You came here just a few days after the manager Andoni Iriola joined the club but that wasn't the first time you came across him was it? No I know him from Spain I scored against him a penalty so that's why he chose me to take penalties here for sure he knows that I'm cool and composed in that moment so yeah I know cool and composed in that moment. So, yeah, I know him.

And I knew already back then he was a great coach because the team that he was training was like we play now. Tough to play against. A lot of energy. I was going to say, you've kind of got insight from the other side. You know what he's like to play against. Did that kind of play into your decision when you came here? Because you know how he takes his team's up. Definitely, definitely.

Because, of course, takes his team's up. Definitely, definitely. Because of course you look at the coach, and I remember that was my first game away against his team. And I was at Valencia, and I was looking, and I was on the bench because it was my first game. And I was like, if this is the league, then it's going to be tough. I didn't expect that. But I had a great season at Valencia, had a great time there also.

And yeah, there was something that was important for me, for the coach, of course. He's shown just how special he is with what he's done with this club, but it's well known, isn't it? You've spoken about it a lot. It didn't click immediately here. What was it like in those first few months as a player with a new group of players, a new manager and kind of buying into this new philosophy, this new club? I think that that's, you could say normal because the coach has an idea. He got a lot of new players. We got to get used to who we are as a team, as an individual, who is

the coach. You got to know who are the players, what can I expect from them. Because even myself, I started as a left winger, what I always would say that's my position, my position what I always played and he saw that I could play as a tactical midfielder and he changed that and that helped me in my career but also the team and the club so yeah he's just a great coach, he sees things differently and I'm thankful for that for sure. Is it the positional change that's then got these remarkable stats out of you now do you feel like that is your best position? Yeah I think so I think so I think this is the position I always had to be playing and sometimes it comes directly and sometimes

a bit late in a career like mine but I'm happy to be here. You're only 25. Yeah, exactly. It's not later in your career. It's not late. I got a lot more in me, so. I guess you got a lot more in you, but you've achieved and kind of seen a lot already.

So talking to you, it feels like you are quite old in your brain in terms of football intelligence. Do you kind of feel like that? I guess I could say so, yeah. I have quite a lot of, I always say stuff in my backpack that I can take out whenever I need to. So yeah, I'm thankful for that and what I said and what you also said. I'm 25 now and those are the beautiful years and the best years to come for sure I believe.

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The Premier League Review only on the Football Daily. Listen on BBC Sounds. The Football Daily podcast in focus. So last season was impressive, but this year it's gone to a whole new level, hasn't it? It is, it is, it is. But I'm not shocked about that because last season was a great season. We achieved some great things. Even with selling Dominic Domzolanke, people always question, how is it going to go without the top scorer? But it's turned out that's what needs, that's part of the club also

you know you need to sell players to get other players to keep developing, freshen it up that's normal so yeah it's so so good. Dominic Slanky left and Evan Ilfson came in as well, Evan Ilfson gets an injury early on, yeah yourself and the fellow attacking players have all more than chipped in with goals. Was there a moment of realisation, almost like galvanising the rest of you to be the ones that want to step up? Of course, of course. We are very ambitious, the players in the team. We want to step up. And what I said, we don't rely on one player, we rely on everybody. And also the coach We rely on everybody and also the coach don't get like oh we lose every new so no he knows what he has he has a philosophy that every player can

play for example Dango plays in a striker and he scores also a hat-trick like it's just a coach also we and we really believe in the coach so we do what he says and it works so what I said is just a great match. I can't believe you've mentioned hat tricks and we've mentioned dangos before we've spoken about yours because you've made kind of a bit of a habit of it. Actually, already two, yeah, and history. So, you know, those things are special, you know,

to make a hat trick in your career, even if you do it once, is something special. And I have three right now, two at Bournemouth, one at Ajax and I don't know, maybe many more. A hat-trick of penalties as well. That's remarkable. That's special and kind of takes something different because the psychology involved in that. I think penalties is all psychology in your head, you know, because nowadays I see a lot of people missing penalties actually. So it's quite difficult and it is if you don't find the focus, it's quite difficult.

So yeah, I could say until now I have never missed. So I'm happy for that and I want to keep this going. So I feel I have the calmness to do that. So let's keep going. There was also in one of your penalties against Wolves, I think we can call it an interested observer behind the goal. I know that one, yeah. He wasn't wearing many clothes, was he? Did you block it out?

Luckily I didn't see him. Luckily what I always say, I blocked everything out so he couldn't see him. After the goal in the changing room I saw it on the videos and everybody online loved it and that's something funny but thank God I didn't see nothing there. Is that one of your main skills, do you think, being able to block out all of the noise and take yourself out of the environment you're in always? Yeah, for sure. I remember back in the days when I was younger I never loved to take penalties because I was stressed about everything around and then at the moment I don't have that so I'm happy for that. Career high for you this season then of goals and assists. We've spoken about it a bit already

but just what is behind it and what is making you in the form of your life right now? I would say just what I've been through. I've been through already a lot at 25 in terms of career careers and places I've been so I'm just developed and I learned from my mistakes that I've made and from the good things I've also done so I think I'm just developing and I'm staying humble, I want to be better every day and I feel I can be better still than this so I'm definitely not done yet and not satisfied because what do we say, I'm 25 and 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, I think those are the most beautiful and best years you can have so I'm looking forward to those years. Do you feel physically, mentally in the best place you've been in your life?

Yes, yes, definitely, for sure. Also with having my wife and baby at the moment, it just gives me also a very piece of calmness and I love to be with them and football and that's it for me. So that's perfect. I was going to say, what a year for you in terms of on the pitch and off it as well. You had your little girl just three months ago, how's becoming a dad? Amazing, especially from a baby girl, it's just crazy. We only have boys in the family and to have a little girl is just, I can't describe it in words, it's something super special.

Does it feel like you've got stability then with football and at home? Probably the most stable considering all the moving around that you've ever done really. Yeah, that is the key to everything I would say. I've always been travelling and being alone and I always say I wouldn't recommend that to nobody because you're just not sure what you're looking up to in the next season or you know it's difficult so I'm happy to be here that's really what I wanted and to have created a family also it's beautiful. We've spoken about Andoni Ierola, I'm fascinated by him because I've interviewed him and he's

so calm and he's so meticulous and he seems so humble. What's he like as a manager though? He's a manager, a special one because he's 24-7 only thinking about football for sure and that's only what special managers have and you see it also when we have training he will come two hours before to put the pitch up himself and really has an idea and really wants to show us how he views football because he's been a great footballer himself. So he understands what football is. So it's working out good. So we just have a lot of faith in him and he loves his job and that's the key. It feels like you are a perfect Andone Iriola player as well in terms of it gets the best out of you he can get the best kind of out of the team with you in it. Yeah yeah I think it is I think just a perfect match so you know

what I said his vision on football and the tactics that he likes I think that fits my profile very good. So it's just a very good match for him and for me. So I think we're both very happy. Since coming here, you've kind of broken records, you've posted numbers you never had before. But there's also a stat that when you scored your first goal in the Premier League, you became what was it? The first player because I see everywhere the second in the top five competitions. But if Holland is number six I would say the first ever player to do that in the top six competitions. And because you have Holland,

France, Spain, Germany, Italy, England. And I think also scored but you got to check the stats like in the Cups also, a lot of competitions already and that will be for sure also the only one. How many do you think it is at the moment? We'll check it. I think in all competitions it will be like 13 or 14 and I think nobody will ever achieve that anymore I hope. I need to be in the Guinness Book of World Records. Maybe you can fix it for me. We'll get in touch, we'll see what we can do. In 2023 the owner Bill Foley said that in five years he wanted Bournemouth to be playing in Europe. Maybe back then it sounded a bit mad. Doesn't sound so mad now does it? I think everybody believes his words at the moment, you know?

You've got to show people. You've got to back your words. And he does that in the things he's doing. So he's, what I said, a very ambitious person. And yeah, he's not crazy. You see what he's doing. And I truly believe that he can achieve those great accomplishments. Campbell must achieve it this season.

We can, for sure. Why not? We have a lot of tough opponents to play against still. But why not? Why not try to reach it? If I say, no, we will not reach it, we won't play good anymore, that's not what we stand for. So we believe in it and we will go for it, 100%. How difficult is it to maintain it across a season? Because we've almost seen it with the Champions League spots as well. Teams have kind of been up there, but it's so tough, isn't it, to maintain it across a whole season, particularly

when you're not used to kind of competing at that end of the table. That's I think the biggest thing is if you are not used to it. A club like Bournemouth is maybe not used to playing for European football. I think you see it with City at the moment, they just know how to win and to achieve those things. They've been there a lot of times but yeah, we've got to be there to feel it and I think we are there and I think the guys are feeling it a bit so it's something special and let's go for it. Are you talking about it in the change of rental? Of course, of course. you know, that's what we

speak every day about, you know. Is it the target? Are you saying that internally? Yes, of course. Also at the beginning of the season, that's our target and that still is our target for sure. Has it surpassed your expectations the almost two years you've been here or is this where you thought they were going to be? It hasn't to be fair because the moment I came here what you say yourself Bill Foley had those ambitions and that's a big reason why I came here because I have the same ambitions so I would say I'm lying if I hadn't had those those visions also. And now whatever happens between now and the end of the season does it feel like this is a special place to be regardless of if you make Europe the future is bright for this club? 100% 100%. I think we showed

that also last season already and to be carrying it on this season it definitely is so I think the future for Bournemouth is very big and I'm happy to be part of that for sure. The future for Bournemouth is big, it's not bad for you either is it? No, it actually isn't. I'm just going to keep working hard, staying humble and giving my best for sure, always. Well Justin, thank you so much for your time. It's been an absolute pleasure. But now for the important stuff. I heard there's a pretty good coffee machine in there? Let's grab a great little coffee. Brilliant.

The Football Daily Podcast in focus. This is the football story of the century. It's pandemonium, it's ecstasy. It's an authoritarian regime. For the past 15 years, English football has been dominated by Manchester City. Eight Premier League titles, six league cups, 3 FA Cups, 1 Champions League. And they're going for it! And more than a hundred charges.

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Watching him drive the car is a little bit like Roger Federer at the top of his game. So he'll be here driving for Red Bull next season. Experience F1 like never before by tuning into the Inside Track, wherever you get your podcasts.