Jurrien Timber has become a pivotal part of the Arsenal backline in the 2024/25 season after missing almost the entirety of last season with a horrible knee injury. The Dutch full-back is proving to be a jack of all trades for Mikel Arteta thanks to his ability to play basically anywhere in the backline.
Jurrien is not the only member of his family taking strides in the European football scene. That is because has a twin in Quinten Timber, a hard-working midfielder currently thriving at Feyenoord. Both brothers came through the Ajax academy. They might not have played together for the Ajax senior team, but have been blessed to now play for the Netherlands national team too.
There was, however, a rather quirky moment during the Dutch side’s recent 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina. Neitehr Jurrien nor Quinten played in the match, but the smart cameramen were able to get a funny shot of them sitting beside each other, fully covered up with warm clothing to beat the freezing conditions.
The Timber twins are near-identical twins who have kept all the similar features to make it tough to distinguish between them. Interestingly, the two brothers have near-identical facial features as well as a similar facial hair style – which makes it extremely difficult to tell which one is Jurrien and who is Quinten.
The brothers have seen the humour in their identical appearances and Jurrien stated in October (2024) that they find their similarity to be funny too. He had stated: “Three years ago we still slept in the same room. We played each other and in the evening we saw each other in the room which was quite funny!”
Even though the two Timber brothers appearances might really confuse opposition players, there are minute differences in their features which help distinguish one from the other. The Arsenal defender is around 5’8.5′ inches in height, while Quiten is slightly shorter at just 5’8′ feet. Jurrien weighs around 79 kilograms, while Quinten comes in at 71 kilograms.
But a better way to distinguish between them is by reconizing the discreet differences in appearance. In this picture of them sitting beside each other, Jurrien is actually the one sitting on the right side.
That is because the Arsenal defender has a slightly slimmer face than Quinten. There is also the case of differentiating them using the hairline. Their hairstyles might be relatively similar, but Jurrien Timber’s side fade is a little bit deeper and he has slightly less hair just above his forehead region.
There is also the case of the shape of their noses. Upon closer inspection, Jurrien Timber appears to have a relatively bigger nose than his twin brother. These aspects probably helped their mother Marilyn Timber distinguish between the two as they were growing up alongside their two elder brothers.
Despite not playing for the same club anymore, Jurrien and Quinten Timber remain very close to each other. They shared similar hobbies growing up, including an affinity for listening to music as well as a love for Lionel Messi.
The brothers have definitely done their family proud by playing for the Netherlands national team and will look to step in the shoes of the De Boer (Frank and Ronald) in enjoying prolific international careers together.
With Arsenal also lacking some steel and depth in midfield, perhaps Jurrien can influence the club to sign his hard-working brother. If that happens, it could be a nightmare for Premier League teams to make plans on neutralizing either Jurrien or Quinten because of their sheer similarities.