Lutsharel Geertruida: Who is RB Leipzig's versatile Sergio Ramos regen?
Lutsharel Geertruida joined RB Leipzig from Feyenoord in August 2024 but has spent the 2025/26 season so far on loan in England. We give you the lowdown on the Netherlands international...
Stats correct as of 1 February 2026
Age: 25 (born 18 July 2000)
Club: RB Leipzig (on loan at Sunderland)
Position: Right-back, centre-back, defensive midfielder
Country: Netherlands (19 senior caps)
Key stats
Geertruida was born in the Rotterdam district of De Peperklip, the same spot in the city where future club Feyenoord were founded almost 100 years earlier. A fan since childhood, the versatile defensive specialist had some hoops to jump through first.
His talent was clear from the off, joining Eredivisie regulars Sparta Rotterdam aged just nine. From there he moved to neighbours Feyenoord two years later in 2012, but just as he was preparing to turn professional in 2017, he was handed a rival offer from fellow Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven.
However, Geertruida stayed and was richly rewarded. In October 2017, he made his professional debut for the club, and just half a year later he signed professional terms.
Initially struggling to nail down a place in the first team, featuring only five times the season after, Geertruida, who is of Curaçaoan descent, began to showcase his extraordinary versatility in 2019/20.
A natural right-back, he can easily fill in at centre-back and defensive midfield, racking up 26 appearances before becoming a regular the following season.
As Geertruida’s importance increased, so did Feyenoord’s performances. The Rotterdam side lost out on the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League in 2021/22, losing to José Mourinho’s Roma by a single goal.
But despite their final disappointment, there were no signs of a drop-off for Feyenoord who, with Geertruida now added to their leadership group, won their first Eredivisie title in six years.
In 2023/24, as de-facto captain following Orkun Kökçü's departure, Geertruida led his side to victory in the Dutch Cup and a runners-up finish in the Eredivisie.
Finishing the campaign with a career-best nine goals in 47 games and a place in Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands squad for UEFA Euro 2024, it was no surprise that Leipzig came calling later that summer.
Often deployed at centre-back under Marco Rose, Geertruida nonetheless blossomed into an important part of the the German tactician’s set-up, making 35 appearances in all competitions.
Geertruida started all but one of Leipzig’s eight UEFA Champions League games under Rose in 2024/25, but Die Roten Bullen would miss out on a return to Europe in 2025/26 after finishing seventh in the Bundesliga, signalling the end of Rose’s tenure.
On 1 September, Geertruida completed a season-long loan move to Premier League outfit Sunderland, whom he's represented 17 times in England's top flight.
Plays a bit like: Sergio Ramos
Much like Real Madrid legend Ramos, Geertruida is just as comfortable at right-back, centre-back or even in midfield. One thing is for certain: wherever he plays, he’s sure to entertain.
Geertruida is an attacking threat from all three positions and is a player who loves a one-on-one duel, whether that’s stopping a striker running at goal, or tricking his way past an attacker before springing out of defence.
Watch: Geertruida scores in Leipzig's 3-1 win over Freiburg in October 2024
Did you know?
Geertruida has long struggled with a stutter and only gave his first interview in front of cameras in March 2024 for a documentary on his life called ‘Kind van Zuid’ (Child from the South).
Speaking in the film which charted his incredible rise, he said: “Everyone knows that I don’t find it easy to talk in front of an audience, but just like on the pitch, I do my best to improve in this area. I see this documentary as a next step in the right direction, and hopefully I can be an inspiration to children and adults who, like me, struggle with stuttering.”
After Feyenoord’s Cup win at the end of the 2024 season, fans got to hear his voice in person for the first time when he sang a club song in front of 200,000 supporters at the Coolsingel during the trophy parade. Geertruida is also a fan of rap, and loses his stutter when singing.
What they’re saying
“It’s no secret that we’ve been speaking to the club for a long time – I always wanted to join. I know what I’m capable of. I can play in many positions, and I want to take on responsibility here.” - Geertruida after completing his move to Leipzig
“Lutsha regularly demonstrated his huge potential in his first year at RB Leipzig, despite having less playing time [towards the end of the season].” - Leipzig managing director of sports Marcel Schäfer following Geertruida's loan move to Sunderland
“It’s great to see how much he wants to learn. If I say something to him, he just accepts it and wants to learn from it. He takes it with him or picks it up again, also during training. That says a lot about him.” - Former Feyenoord and Netherlands teammate Quinten Timber
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