Ruben van Bommel’s impressive return for PSV has earned him his first Netherlands call-up, but Ruud Gullit believes the winger still has one important aspect of his game to develop.

Van Bommel has made a strong start to the 2026/27 season after returning from the serious cruciate ligament injury that ruled him out for much of the previous campaign.

His performances for PSV have now been rewarded with a first senior Netherlands call-up from new head coach Xavi Hernández, adding another major milestone to his comeback.

The 22-year-old joined PSV from AZ for €15 million last year and initially made an encouraging impression before suffering his knee injury during the 2-2 draw against Ajax on 21 September 2025.

The setback ended his season, although Van Bommel returned to training towards the end of the campaign before spending a further two weeks working with PSV Under-19s as he completed his rehabilitation.

PSV general manager Marcel Brands revealed that he had followed Van Bommel’s recovery closely and was impressed by the winger’s attitude throughout the process.

“Before the season started, I said that everyone forgets that we have Alassane Pléa and Van Bommel back again. They are guys we missed for a whole year, but it’s an extra quality.”

Brands also recalled visiting Van Bommel during his individual rehabilitation in Limburg.

“Back then, I was already very quickly impressed by how he was at his level. At the end of the season, he trained with us again and then went on for another two weeks with our Under-19s. Then you could see that he was already back. He is a great professional.”

Rafael van der Vaart also praised the winger’s mentality, particularly after Van Bommel’s committed challenge against Sparta Rotterdam.

The former Netherlands midfielder argued that such aggression is part of what a coach wants from a wide player.

“That tackle against Sparta, that’s what Peter Bosz meant in the interview after Ajax, isn’t it? Does Bosz then have to say that he shouldn’t do it? Isn’t this what you want as a coach when you’re a left winger?”

Van der Vaart added:

“He keeps fighting for his team, and that fuels his teammates.”

Gullit identifies one weakness

Gullit, however, believes Van Bommel can become more effective if he learns to attack defenders more directly rather than relying so heavily on his pace.

“He leans too much on his speed. What he needs to learn is that he should go straight at his opponent.”

As relayed by PSV Inside, Gullit believes opponents are already aware of Van Bommel’s tendency to move towards the outside before attempting to use his acceleration.

“Van Bommel still moves to the side. The opponent wants him to move to the side too, but then Van Bommel thinks: I can still get past him with my speed.”

The comments underline the next stage of Van Bommel’s development. His pace remains a major weapon, but Gullit believes greater variety in one-on-one situations would make him less predictable.

Brands’ appearance on Rondo also covered PSV’s youth development, with Amir Bouhamdi having broken into the first team this season.

The PSV general manager said the club wants around one-third of its squad to consist of players developed internally.

“In my first term we said in 2013 that we needed to get more out of our training program. In the end, in my final year we became Dutch champions with a team in which 12 of the 23 players came from our own training program.”

Brands acknowledged that PSV had fallen short of that objective in recent years and said changes had been made to scouting and player development.

He pointed to Phillip Cocu’s role at Topsport, designed primarily to guide younger players, while highlighting the emergence of 18-year-olds such as Noah Fernandez, Bouhamdi and Shuryjano Cornecion.

For Van Bommel, however, the immediate focus remains on building momentum after his injury setback. His PSV return has already brought a new international opportunity, while Gullit believes there is still another level to reach in his development.