The look on Zach Booth’s face said more than words ever could. In a meeting between the two brothers, Zach’s Volendam taking on Taylor’s Utrecht in the Eredivisie last weekend, the elder sibling outdid his younger brother with a hat-trick which saw him double his top-flight tally in the space of just 46 minutes.
No wonder Zach, who had opened the scoring in an eventual 4-2 defeat, looked like a man who could not believe what his eyes were telling him.
Taylor Booth is hardly a regular source of goals, after all. And the America international could hardly have picked a more opportune moment to hit the first treble of his senior career, the footballing equivalent of an older brother snatching and unwrapping his younger sibling’s presents on Christmas morning.
“It’s going to be expensive,” Taylor smiles to ESPN, teenager Zach owing the 22-year-old a meal out after losing a bet and losing the game. “I don’t know where yet, but it will definitely be five stars and an expensive place.”
Erik ten Hag likes Eredivisie ace Taylor Booth
Booth had only ever scored three Eredivisie goals before completing his most unexpected of hat-tricks last time out, lashing in two fine finishes either side of a sumptuous backheel.
It was a performance which acts as a timely reminder of the vast potential Booth showed during his early days in Dutch football, none other than Premier League giants Manchester United showing an interest at the time (Daily Mail).
“Erik ten Hag came in and he spoke to my agent Rob Moore about one of the players that was playing in Holland,” United coach Benni McCarthy told 947 Joburg last summer.
“And he asked Rob about an American player that Rob also managed.”
It does not take much digging to work out who McCarthy was referring too. Booth an American plying his trade in the Netherlands and also a client of Moore.
The Utah-born midfielder, during Ten Hag’s first few months at Old Trafford, may have been identified as an affordable alternative to Frenkie de Jong. He is, after all, an excellent ball-carrier in central areas and a highly-technical player in possession.
Now, nearly two years on and with Ten Hag expected to lose some of his power over recruitment following the INEOS takeover, the Manchester United ship may have sailed for Taylor Booth. But, still, more performances like the one against Volendam will not just earn Booth a free meal paid for by his young brother, but perhaps also an opportunity to showcase those De Jong-like talents on a larger stage later down the line.
First ever hat-trick for Manchester United-linked star
“Booth really stood out,” Utrecht manager Ron Jans told ESPN at full-time. “Like all of Utrecht, he has had a difficult start to the season.
“I’m very satisfied with his individual performance. I sat with him on Thursday and then I said; ‘Normally this is the moment when I tell you that you are not playing.’ He was not good against Excelsior (in the previous match).
“I just think that sometimes, as a player, you have to want to put something right.”
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