Sepp van den Berg: 7 Things to Know About the Liverpool Target

​Unearthing a future superstar is one of the most exciting parts of the transfer window, and it looks like Liverpool may have done exactly that with Sepp van den Berg.

The 17-year-old defender is one of the Eredivisie's brightest prospects, and he has recently blossomed into bona fide star for PEC Zwolle under former Man Utd warrior Jaap Stam.

The Reds face competition from Bayern Munich and Ajax, with all three battling to win the race for his signature.

Here are seven things you need to know about Van ben Berg.

He Loves Breaking Records

To have 22 games of top-flight experience under your belt by the age of 17 is no mean feat, and the fact that he made his debut at 16 is even more impressive.

He wasn't the youngster ever debutant in the Eredivisie, but he soon broke Clarence Seedorf's record no less to become the youngest player to play at least ten games in league history, at 16 years and 256 days.

He also became the youngest player to ever receive a yellow card in the Eredivisie when he was booked on his debut, but that first record is much more impressive.

He Began His Career as a Winger

When you watch Van den Berg play, one of the first things you'll notice about him is his pace. The youngster is incredibly speedy, and he owes that to his training as a winger.

In the early stages of his career, Van den Berg was a right winger, but his defensive ability saw him pushed back into right-back, before making the transition to centre-back soon after.​

As a result, not only is he quick across the ground, but he is also incredibly comfortable with the ball at his feet. He was one of Zwolle's most consistent passers last season, which makes him the ideal centre-back for the modern game.

Matthijs de Ligt Is a Huge Fan

Van den Berg is not the only Dutch defender to make headlines this summer. You might have heard of this defender from Ajax, Matthijs de Ligt. Well, apparently he is a massive fan of the Zwolle wonderkid.

De Ligt told ​De Stentor that he predicts a bright future for Van den Berg, adding that he needs to stay grounded and work hard on realising his potential.

If he turns out to be half the player De Ligt is, he will be set for a pretty incredible career.

Jaap Stam Wasn't So Sure About Him

Zwolle always planned for Van den Berg to blossom into a star, but manager Jaap Stam often proved to be a hurdle in his development.

Once Stam arrived at Zwolle in December 2018, he soon dropped Van den Berg back down to the reserve side, in the hope that it would inspire the defender to work hard and improve. However, despite his progress, Stam often persisted with ​veteran options and rarely rewarded Van den Berg.

The fact that he found himself rooted to the bench towards the end of the season may have ultimately pushed him towards the exit door.

He Is His Own Biggest Critic

With his name dominating headlines, it would be easy for Van den Berg to get caught up in his own excitement, but that doesn't look like it'll be a problem for him.

Speaking to ​Voetbal International, Van den Berg admitted he can be "extremely critical" of himself, adding that he always challenges himself to improve. Until he is the best in the world, he will not be satisfied.

That's the kind of mentality that fans love to see from their young players, and it certainly seems like Van den Berg is ready to work hard to prove himself.

He Doesn't Feel Pressure

Playing against players twice his age in the Eredivisie could be a daunting prospect for Van den Berg, but he doesn't fear coming up against anyone, even Dutch legend Robin van Persie.

In the same interview with Voetbal International, the teenager claimed that he does not pay any attention to who he comes up against, as the only thing that matters is whether he can beat them or not.​

He ended by saying one thing: “You just have to win all your duels. Names don’t count.”

His Younger Brother Is Just as Exciting

All the talk might be about Sepp right now, but expect to see his 15-year-old brother Rav dominate his own headlines soon.

Rav, who also plays as a centre-back, is viewed as one of Zwolle's brightest young talents and has previously attracted interest from some of Europe's top sides, including Liverpool.

Ajax and PSV Eindhoven are thought to be leading the charge for Rav, but it seems just a matter of time before he follows in his brother's footsteps. Whatever they put in the water at the Van den Berg household, it's clearly working.​