Quinten Timber - Midfielder

Chopping through midfield

A Dutch champion, Netherlands international, World Cup player and midfielder with an eye for goal – Quinten Timber has a bit of everything.

Born in Utrecht, Timber has already packed plenty into his fledgling career, winning the Eredivisie, KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield, captaining Feyenoord and gaining experience in both the Netherlands and France.

He has also represented his country at a major tournament and the FIFA World Cup – while sharing the journey with twin brother Jurriën.

Football runs in the Timber family. Quinten and his twin brother Jurriën started out at DVSU before spending time in Feyenoord’s academy, then joining Ajax’s famed youth system together in 2014.

The pair took different paths from there, with Quinten developing into a midfielder and Jurriën establishing himself as a defender. Both would go on to represent the Netherlands at senior level, with Jurriën now starring for Arsenal.

Quinten progressed through Ajax’s youth ranks and, after representing the Netherlands from Under-15 level upwards, helped the Under-17s win the UEFA European U17 Championship in 2018.

That same year, he made his professional debut for Jong Ajax in the Eerste Divisie, coming on as a substitute in a 2-1 defeat away to Jong PSV.

His first senior goal arrived a few months later, in March 2019, when he scored in a 3-3 draw with Jong FC Utrecht.

After seven years in Amsterdam, Timber returned to his hometown in the summer of 2021, joining FC Utrecht. It proved to be quite the homecoming...

He made 33 appearances during his sole season at the club, scoring twice and providing four assists, while his performances earned him FC Utrecht’s Player of the Year award for 2022.

By then, it was clear that another move was on the horizon. Feyenoord came calling in July 2022, bringing Timber back to the club where his footballing journey had begun.

The move made him FC Utrecht’s record outgoing transfer at the time, with the reported €8.5million fee also setting a new transfer record for Feyenoord.

He made an immediate impression, scoring on his third Eredivisie appearance as Feyenoord beat FC Emmen 4-0.

Under former Liverpool manager Arne Slot, Timber quickly became an important part of the side and helped Feyenoord win the Eredivisie title in his first season. More silverware followed in 2023/24, when Feyenoord lifted the KNVB Cup.

That was also Timber’s most productive season in front of goal. Operating from midfield, he recorded eight goals and 10 assists across all competitions, while making his mark in the Champions League too, earning Player of the Match honours in a memorable 3-2 victory over Girona in the group stage.

He made 13 Champions League appearances across his first two seasons at Feyenoord. Ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, Timber added the Johan Cruyff Shield to his collection.

His performances on the domestic and European stages had already earned him his first senior Netherlands call-up in March 2024 for friendlies against Scotland and Germany.

He made his debut against Germany, coming off the bench in a 2-1 defeat, before being named in the preliminary squad for UEFA Euro 2024. He ultimately missed out on the final 26-man selection.

By September, Timber had taken on another responsibility at club level, being appointed Feyenoord captain.

His 2024/25 season was initially disrupted by injury, but Timber returned to action and continued to add to his Feyenoord record, eventually finishing his time at the club with 125 appearances and 21 goals.

In January 2026, Timber brought his time in Rotterdam to an end, completing a move to Marseille. He made 15 appearances for the French club, helping them to a fifth-placed finish in Ligue 1 and experiencing football outside the Netherlands for the first time.

His international career was continuing to move forward, too.

Timber scored his first Netherlands goal in a FIFA World Cup qualifier against Lithuania before receiving the ultimate call-up in May 2026, when he was named in the Oranje squad for the FIFA World Cup.

He duly appeared twice in the 2026 summer's Finals in North America: first in the group stages against Japan in a 2-2 draw, and then in the Round of 32 against Morocco.

From Ajax academy prospect to Dutch champion, Feyenoord captain, Ligue 1 midfielder and World Cup leader, Timber has taken quite the route to South London.