'I think football, football, football'

Ismaïl Aissati has to pinch himself to believe that he is representing the Netherlands at the UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

'Unbelievable dream'
"If you had said to me a year ago 'You are going to play in the Champions League and the U21 finals' I would have said you were crazy," the 17-year-old, the youngest player in Portugal, told uefa.com. "It is unbelievable, this is a dream for any player." The dream is not yet over either, with the Dutch through to a semi-final against France having knocked out holders Italy on Monday.

High spirits
"To be through to the semi-finals feels fantastic," Aissati said. "To beat Italy 1-0 in this tournament is great. Everyone played very well, we were able to play our own game and did very well in the midfield against the Italians." After disappointing in a defeat by Ukraine and draw with Denmark, the Netherlands have finally begun to look like the side that impressed in qualifying before Aissati emerged from the U17s.

Instant impact
He only made it into the U21 reckoning with the November play-off against Slovenia. He was handed the No10 shirt for the goalless first leg in Celje and impressed enough to keep his place for the return in Heerenveen. With eleven minutes played, he set striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar free on goal and the Dutch were in front and on their way to the finals.

Level head
By then, Aissati was a regular in the UEFA Champions League with PSV Eindhoven, having become the youngest Dutchman to play in the competition with his 19 October substitute appearance at AC Milan. He made his first start two weeks later as PSV defeated the Italian side 1-0 in Eindhoven. Yet, for all his efforts so far, the young playmaker feels in no way superior to any of his peers in Portugal.

No fear
"I don't feel anything special about being the youngest player in the tournament. There are a lot of good players here and in the Netherlands also. For anyone to be here you have to be at a high level already." Few would disagree with that, but it is hard to ignore the obvious talent of a 17-year-old who plays with no fear and with huge enjoyment.

Enjoyment
"It's very important for me to enjoy playing, to play with a smile on my face," Aissati said as another of those big grins spreads across his features. "Football is everything for me. When I am on the field with the ball, I feel so happy. I only think football, football, football and it is fantastic to be playing here. This is a great country with amazing people. This has been a great experience."

'So strong'
He cannot wait to get his teeth into a midfield battle with the likes of Rio Antonio Mavuba, Lassana Diarra and Jérémy Toulalan. "France are a very good team," he said. "They are the best team in this tournament. The defence is so strong and they always score. It would be beautiful to beat them and I hope to score. We have to give all we can."

Forward thinking
Regardless of the Braga result, Aissati has his sights on achieving even more. "I am already looking forward to next season because you must make progress every year. I have to play more games to become a better player. This is what you have to do. I am just 17 and I have so much more to learn." Having seen him on the field and listened to him off it, it would be possible to disagree with him.