The world truly discovered Summerville on June 14th, 2026, in Atlanta.
Starting on the right wing for the Netherlands against Japan in the Oranje’s World Cup opener, the West Ham winger delivered a thunderous debut in a major tournament: 100 per cent successful dribbles, a stunning curled left-footed strike to restore his side’s lead, and a performance that immediately caught the attention of the recruitment teams at PSG, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United.
The Netherlands were ultimately held to a draw (2-2), but Summerville had made his mark.
Six days later against Sweden, coming on at half-time, he set up a goal for Cody Gakpo and then scored the fifth in a collective masterclass (5-1). Two goals and an assist in two appearances. And with every goal, the same celebration: both hands pressed together against his cheek, eyes closed, as if sleeping.
This ritual has a story. When he burst onto the scene at Leeds in 2023/2024 with 19 goals and nine assists, Summerville felt like nobody was really noticing him. In a Q&A session with West Ham fans, a supporter asked him about the origin of the gesture.
He replied: “I felt like people were ‘sleeping on me’ at Leeds, because I thought my time had come the previous season. That’s where my celebration came from. I scored a lot of goals, but people still didn’t appreciate me for what I was worth, and that’s why I did that celebration. I kept it because the kids and the fans loved it, so now I keep doing it.”
Suriname call-up could have changed everything
What makes the story remarkable is that it might never have happened in an orange shirt. Just a few months ago, Summerville’s international future was still undecided. Suriname, his parents’ homeland, were trying to qualify for their first-ever World Cup and had their eye on the player.
An injury at the wrong time ruled him out of the play-offs, sparing him from having to make a rushed decision. When Ronald Koeman made it clear he was counting on him, the choice became obvious.
“It’s a decision that mixes emotion and reason,” he explained to Voetbal International at the start of June. “It’s also a decision for the rest of my life. In the end, I chose what was best for me and my career. In everything I do, I aim for the highest level. And with the Netherlands team, my chances of success are greatest.”
Koeman, for his part, doesn’t hide his excitement: “He brings pace, but he’s also very intelligent between the lines and uses the ball well. I think he’s fantastic in so many ways on the right side, whether he starts or comes on during the game. I really love watching him play.”
Born on October 30th, 2001, Summerville grew up in Rotterdam-Zuid, first in the Boulevard Zuid neighbourhood and then near Vuurplaat. “People might describe Rotterdam-Zuid as a bit of a tough area, but there were people from all backgrounds and walks of life, and you never felt like anyone was judged for coming from elsewhere. That shaped the man I am today,” he said in a long interview when he joined West Ham.
The second youngest of eight siblings, with three older brothers, three older sisters and a younger sister, he grew up in a “noisy and warm” household. His family is of Surinamese origin, and around them were neighbours from Turkey, Morocco, Curacao and Poland.
At Feyenoord from the age of five
His parents each left Suriname separately to try their luck in the Netherlands before meeting each other. His mother Jasmina ran her own debt assistance company while making sure her son didn’t neglect his studies: “She always told me to have a plan B if things didn’t work out. She’s incredibly strong. We didn’t have much growing up, and both my parents worked two jobs to get by. I’ll never forget everything she did for us.”
His father Errol was a long-distance lorry driver, often away, but always there when it mattered. A former footballer forced to stop due to an Achilles injury, he never let his son out of his sight: “Every time I saw him, it gave me even more motivation. He was always honest with me, whether I played well or not.”
Being spotted by Feyenoord was almost like a fairy tale. One Saturday afternoon, little Crysencio was playing with his brother at RVVV Noorderkwartier, the local club where his father coached. A scout from the big Rotterdam club watched from the sidelines, approached, asked the boy’s age, and requested his details.
“I’d only been there about a year when my brother and I were having fun with the first team, doing nutmegs and all sorts of tricks, and suddenly someone who’d been watching us came up to my brother and said they wanted to invite me to train with Feyenoord. At first, no one believed it. We asked him to show his papers,” he recalls. He was five years old. He passed his trial match and ended up staying at Feyenoord until he was 18.
In his teens, when his family moved to Dordrecht, he stayed in Rotterdam. The solution was obvious: he went to live with his maternal grandmother, closer to the academy, school, and everything that structured his life. These were decisive years, and not just in footballing terms. She was the one who most directly passed on Surinamese history and culture to him, instilling an identity he still speaks of with undiminished pride:
“I’m very proud of my Surinamese heritage. I love the food and the people there, and as soon as you get off the plane, you feel something different. I can’t really describe it.” She passed away a few years ago; he describes her as his “second mum”.
Heading to England
Despite joining the academy early, his path was not always straightforward. In 2018, a dressing room altercation with teammate Mats Knoester, settled by his brother using rather unorthodox methods, led to the maximum penalty: a fine, a suspension until early 2019, and then a loan to FC Dordrecht in the Dutch second division. He bounced back at ADO Den Haag in the Eredivisie the following season, before joining Leeds in September 2020 at the age of 18.
He flourished in England. Four seasons at Leeds saw him play 89 matches and get 25 goals, including a memorable one at Anfield in October 2022 when he came off the bench to score the winner against Liverpool. In 2023/34, with 19 goals and nine assists in the Championship, he was named the division’s best player, both by the players (PFA) and the league (EFL).
During his time at Leeds, he received an unexpected call: Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, the Dutch legend who also played there, got in touch to give him feedback. “Leeds fans used to call me ‘Jimmy’ at first, which confused me until I realised it was a reference to him.”
Hasselbaink isn’t the only role model he mentions. “Clarence Seedorf is someone I really admired. He was born in Suriname and became a legend in the Netherlands. I think he deserves even more respect than he gets, because he pretty much won everything as a player,” he says.
Big things coming
In August 2024, West Ham paid €30 million to secure his services.
His first two seasons in London were disrupted - a serious hamstring injury in January 2025 sidelined him for over six months - but he returned to his best in the autumn, finishing the season strongly despite West Ham’s relegation to the Championship.
“It’s been a rollercoaster,” he said before the World Cup. “It was my first major injury, it was tough. But I tried to stay positive and see it as just another obstacle. My partner Janique was amazing. She’s been by my side since we met at school at 15, and she’s always been my biggest supporter.”
If his season was a rollercoaster, his World Cup has been a meteoric rise, with Summerville gradually becoming the darling of a Dutch public starved of attacking flair.
His small stature, dribbling, directness, explosive pace and pinpoint finishing have already convinced Koeman to give him a key role at the tournament.
A World Cup to savour before becoming the star of the transfer window, as he’s already decided he won’t play in the English second tier after West Ham’s relegation. And the Hammers won’t be able to keep him.