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SOUTH AFRICAN midfielder Daylon Claessen has followed the same route to Europe set by compatriot Steven Pienaar.

Now he is hoping to follow his international inspiration into the Everton senior squad.

Like Pienaar, Claessen started his career at Ajax Cape Town before signing for Ajax in Holland.

He failed to break into the Dutch giants’ first team and moved onto Lierse in Belgium, where his contract ends this summer.

He started a trial at Finch Farm this week where he will be hoping to impress Blues boss David Moyes.

Claessen, still only 23, is an attacking midfielder who comes under the unfulfilled potential category.

He made his senior debut for Ajax Cape Town aged just 16 years, nine months 29 days, and made such an early impact he signed for Ajax Amsterdam in 2008 after being on trial at Real Madrid and RCD Espanyol.

Many clubs were eager to sign the youngster, but at the time restrictions for non-EU players did not allow the Spanish clubs to do so.

No such restrictions existed in Holland and the Eredivisie side convinced Claasen to follow in the footsteps of compatriots Benni McCarthy, Aaron Mokoena and Pienaar.

At the age of 19 Claessen was voted best player of the 2009 CAF Under-20 African Cup of Nations in Rwanda, and appeared in the starting XI in all three matches played at the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Egypt 2009.

It was there that Claasen caught the eye of the senior selectors and was handed a first senior call-up in November of 2009 when South Africa faced Japan and Jamaica.

In the run-up to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the youngster formed part of Carlos Alberto Parreira’s pre-selection squad and went to both training camps in Brazil and Germany respectively.

Frustrated at his limited opportunities at Ajax Amsterdam, Claasen transferred to newly promoted Belgian Premier League club Lierse in August 2010 and was immediately thrust into the starting XI.

His performances earned him another call-up to the South African senior national team for their African Nations Cup qualification match against Niger.

Now Claasen believes the time is right to move on from Lierse.

His contract is set to expire in June, and the player had no intention of signing a new deal with the club.

Back in January his agent, Ivan Modia, said: “He’s doing well but is going to stay until the end of the season at least.

“Daylon has been playing very well and is being watched as far as I know by other clubs. But we are not looking for anything for him at the moment. We will have a look in the summer.”

It seems that the player has already started looking now – with Everton first in the queue to express an interest.