Player Review
88 - Icon
I am very sensitive about my defenders. Since unlike last year I can't play a lot this year, I'm always looking for affordable options to improve my squad. After getting literally "nothing" for about 3 weeks, I got an untradeable Mid Rijkaard, his only CB card out of a Mega Pack. As a Barcelona fan some of my best memories are tied to this guy and I didn't hesitate to put him in my squad instead of Lenglet.
You know? You always need a leader for your defense. Using 2 good defenders that can't lead a defense line always lead to some terrible events. I used Lenglet and L.Hernandez for a long time, and even though they were good, they weren't particularly special. Then I swapped Hernandez for RTTF Diego Carlos, that I still use, and things were a bit better, but my defense line still lacked a leader until this Dutch man showed up.
He's as calm as a defender can be. When I was screaming around because Mbappe, Neymer and Messi were coming near my box, this guy was there like a knight, intercepting and tacking like he was Superman. The best thing about him is the fact that he commits foul very rarely due to his very high composure. I'm a type of player that tackles a lot. Lenglet, Hernandez and Diego Carlos almost always used to leave the pitch with a yellow card but Rijkaard rarely gets a card.
I didn't have a Shadow in my club, so I used Anchor which also improves his Aggression. This was a good choice, since my defense line is always at around 4-5 depth. As long as you don't put your depth in defense at around 7-8, his pace is good enough to catch most of the players. But if you are nervous about this matter, you can slap a Shadow on him.
He's tall and has very good heading and jumping stats. When you're defending against a corner, he's the man you can rely on. I don't know why but he's not that good when you are kicking a corner. Maybe Carlos can't cross it good enough for him? He's a defender so you're not gonna shoot with him. His shot power and long shot is good enough though. In rebounds, he may be able to score a few goals for you too.
I pass a lot with my keeper and defenders. I even changed ter Stegen to use FB Neuer because of his kicking. Rijkaard's passes always reach their destination. He's so good at passing that you can even use him as a CDM. High stamina is another good point about him. 87 stamina means you can comfortably use him in 120 minutes. Even as a CDM he lasts 90 minutes easily.
Well I need to say he's not the best defender in the game, and maybe even someone like VVD may be a better option in some ways but this guy is brilliant for the coin you're gonna spend. Of course Matthaus is a beast this year (since there's no flying CR7 & FB Ibra anymore) and Blanc or Maldini are on top as usual, but this man is easily an all-rounded defender that can overhaul your defense for less than 500k.
A good icon defender who is fast, smart and bulky enough to defend against annoying attackers such as Mbappe.
He is a leader for your defense, but you better use another defender with better dribbling (agility, balance) stats alongside him because if the attacker manages to dribble you, it'll be a bit hard to control this guy and get him back to defense again. But as long as you stay patient and jockey, you won't have a problem.