Dortmund | “We thought we were buying the best midfielders in the world”

The Eredivisie has said goodbye to Joey Veerman, whose transfer to Borussia Dortmund sparked many rumours over the past few days. On Saturday evening, Veerman made his debut for the yellow-and-black club from Dortmund, no less against Ismael Saibari. PSV nowadays supplies players to the European top.

The midfielder from Volendam proved to be a gem for the Eredivisie but will now go on to shine in the Bundesliga. Normally, it seems that the Netherlands national team is once again coming into view for Veerman, who will surely be kept under watch by Xavi Hernandez. Veerman's performances in Dortmund could provide playing time with Oranje, especially now that the long-inflated Frenkie de Jong is injured again.

NOS analyst Ron Jans thinks that there is hope for Veerman with Oranje under the new national team coach. "He has shown week in, week out that he can handle the level at PSV. And now he’s going to show it in Germany as well. It will all be fine."

Jans also emphasizes what Veerman has meant for Dutch football. "I’m going to miss his passes. We just have to thank him for what he has given to Dutch football, the Eredivisie and PSV. Joey, thank you, boy. Good luck."

In the Dutch public broadcaster NOS football podcast, there is also extensive attention paid to the transfer of Veerman to Dortmund. The gentlemen analysts at NOS also expect opportunities and even playing time for Veerman under Xavi Hernandez, who will soon be going to watch Borussia Dortmund matches.

In the NOS podcast, criticism is also directed at the newly injured Frenkie de Jong, who is embroiled in a feud with and involving a critical and well-known journalist who is based atop FC Barcelona. The journalist recently laid out that Frenkie de Jong is no longer valued as highly in Barcelona, that he has essentially been misjudged as a midfielder.

'There is not really development in him; he hasn’t become better. Back then, we thought we had bought the best midfielder in the world', said the critical journalist about Frenkie de Jong, who in turn does indeed have to keep a close eye on things with a fit again topfit Jerdy Schouten and Joey Veerman.