Dutch Media Hails Dean James After Key Europa League Performance
athens, Greece - Dean James earned praise from Dutch media outlets following a standout performance for Go Ahead Eagles in their 2-1 Europa League victory over Panathinaikos on Thursday, October 3, 2025. The Indonesian international provided two crucial assists, both finished by Milan Smit, to secure the Dutch side’s first win in the competition this season.
James’s contributions came after Panathinaikos took an early lead through Karol Swiderski in the 55th minute. Smit equalized in the 75th minute off a James cross, and then scored the winning goal seven minutes later, again assisted by James from the left wing. The performance underscores james’s growing influence for Go Ahead Eagles, where he has tallied four assists in 10 appearances across all competitions.
Voetbalprimeur awarded James a rating of 7.5 for his performance, noting his impact despite a challenging match. “James had difficulty fighting Panathinaikos, but thank you to the left back with a proven quality,” the outlet wrote.”Go Ahead Eagles can realize an impossible thing. With two good movements and two assists for Milan Smit, he helped Deventer secure victory.”
The strong showing is especially timely for James,as he prepares to join the Indonesian national team for the fourth round of 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Saudi Arabia and Iraq next week.
