Captain, leader, record holder: Marten de Roon shows his undying love for Atalanta

For Marten de Roon, Atalanta feels like his true national side, and he fully embraces that idea. Even with only 42 caps for the Netherlands, his last one coming two years ago, the midfielder from Zwijndrecht has completely adapted to life in Bergamo.

His 436th competitive match against Hellas Verona saw him become the all time record holder for appearances with La Dea, moving ahead of Gianpaolo Bellini. Yet there is more to his story.

The Dutch player first joined from Heerenveen in the summer of 2015, had a short time at Middlesbrough, then returned in 2017, and has since made Bergamo his home. His 23 goals and 31 assists provide the highlights in a standout period, where he started in 92.2% of the games he was picked for.

He even dedicated a portion of his open letter to the supporters to Bellini: "On this journey and with this record that I am inheriting, I would like to dedicate a thought to the Atalanta flag. My first captain, Bergamo Doc, Gianpaolo Bellini. A man. A player who showed what it means to wear this jersey. Pride. Respect. Dedication. An example."

Captain and leader

So far, De Roon has captained the Nerazzurri in 30 per cent of his appearances, while holding the club records for most games in Serie A (332), the Champions League (43), and all European ties (75). He is almost a one club wonder, something uncommon in todays elite football, where top talents rarely stay long unless the team is a major European force.

From his first game on 16 August 2015 against Cittadella, apart from that brief English phase, De Roon has shown great loyalty to La Dea, helping them win the Europa League in a unforgettable final. There, Bergamo triumphed over Bayer Leverkusen, the German champions who had not lost before.

Ambition

Breaking the appearance record stands as a key milestone in his time at Atalanta. He has made it known he plans to stay beyond this summer, thanks to the extension clause in his deal with the Percassi owned club. Elsewhere in the letter, he added, "The hunger is still there. The hunger to win. To continue to grow. To leave something behind."

After years of deep commitment, Atalanta truly is Marten de Roons national team. He aims to keep adding to the clubs legacy, always in black and blue.