Ruben de Boer came through the youth academy at Stars, joining as a teenager and working his way up through every age group. A quick, right-footed forward who likes to drift into the channels, he was promoted to the first team six years ago and quickly became a fan favourite for his work rate and finishing inside the box.

In the summer before this season he moved to Athletics for a club-record fee of EUR 18.5 million. He wears the number 7 shirt and leads the line, where his movement and pressing set the tone for the rest of the side.

Off the pitch he is known for his community work with local youth teams around Dunmore.