By News18,Vivek Ganapathy

Copyright news18

Xavi Simons made a strong impression in his Premier League debut for Tottenham Hotspur on September 13. The young midfielder, signed for £51.8 million from RB Leipzig, played a key role in Spurs’ 3-0 victory over West Ham at the London Stadium. On his first outing for Thomas Frank’s side, the 22-year-old set up Pape Matar Sarr’s opening goal and showed great energy and skill.
But there was more to his debut than just football. Simons used the occasion to honour his family and heritage uniquely by wearing the Suriname flag on his boots.
Honouring Family and Roots
Although Xavi Simons is a Netherlands international with 29 appearances for his country, he proudly carries his Surinamese roots. His father, Regillio Simons, is of Surinamese descent and remains connected to the culture, enjoying traditional dishes like bami, saoto soup and rotia.
Simons shared how important this connection is to him: “We’re from Suriname, a little country, but, yeah, my whole family’s from there,” he told the official Bundesliga website. “I’m really proud that my family’s from there,” he added.
On his debut, Xavi Simons wore Puma boots with the words ‘Peggy and Kenza’ printed on them, as a personal tribute to his mother and younger sister, who accompanied him when he signed for Spurs. The Suriname flag was also displayed on his boots, a bold and meaningful statement celebrating his background.

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Surinamese Heritage in Dutch Football
Suriname is a small South American country with about 600,000 people and a strong football connection to the Netherlands, due to its colonial history. Several Dutch football legends have Surinamese roots, including Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Today, other top Dutch players share this heritage, such as Virgil van Dijk, Denzel Dumfries, and Gini Wijnaldum. Xavi Simons joins this list of talented players proud of their Surinamese background.
Simons has visited family in Suriname several times and recalls the special memories of his late grandmother speaking to him in Surinamese. “My family still lives there. You have to go there once. The food is really good. Everything is good,” he also mentioned.
Simons showing the Surinamese flag in his Premier League debut was a proud moment, blending personal pride with professional success.