Former PSV keeper ended his career early: “That started to annoy me at some point”
1 min readFormer PSV goalkeeper Mike van de Meulenhof played in PSV’s youth academy together with, among others, Cody Gakpo and Donyell Malen. Despite this, Van de Meulenhof was not able to break through as well as Gakpo and Malen, which is why the former goalkeeper decided to stop playing football.
In addition, Van de Meulenhof also never made his debut for PSV’s first team. In 2020, the former goalkeeper therefore left PSV and decided to play for Kozakken Boys on an amateur basis.
Despite the fact that it never came to an official debut for PSV 1, Van de Meulenhof did end up on the bench a few times as the third goalkeeper. As a result, the former goalkeeper could no longer be allowed to play out for Jong PSV.
''That bothered me at a certain point, because I just really wanted to play. I wasn't allowed to play for Jong, because as the third goalkeeper of the first team I wasn't allowed to get injured'', says Van de Meulenhof in an interview with Voetbal International.
At the end of his contract with PSV, the then goalkeeper was told by the club that it would not offer him a new contract, prompting his agent to look for a new club. "He looked all over the world, even in Indonesia, but unfortunately he couldn't get anything done. Well, then that's that," the former PSV player says.
At this moment, Van de Meulenhof is enjoying life outside of football. "I am really very happy now. Much happier than when I played football. I have peace in my body, a nice job, great people around me, and I just enjoy life. I’m glad I’m no longer stuck in that routine of: only eating, training, and sleeping," concludes the former goalkeeper.
Comments5
Ik vond die zin over Jong PSV pijnlijk. Je wil keepen, maar je wordt geblokkeerd omdat het eerste elftal je als derde optie nodig heeft. Uiteindelijk krijg je dan geen debuut en haakt ie af.
Kozakken Boys toch? respect dat ie alsnog bleef keepen. Maar bruh, als je overal kijkt, zelfs Indonesië, en het lukt niemand, dan is het gewoon pech en het systeem dat je niet helpt.
Idk of ik PSV hier gelijk geef. Als je als keeper "niet geblesseerd mocht raken" dan is dat een keuze die ook je ontwikkeling remt. Dan is stoppen bij Kozakken Boys bijna logisch.
tbh het is altijd hetzelfde verhaal bij PSV jeugd, talent loopt door tot het moment dat je in de pikorde valt. Met Gakpo en Malen zag je wel doorstromen, bij hem blijkbaar niet. Jammer.
"Dat irriteerde mij op een gegeven moment wel" snap ik echt. Als je elke keer derde keeper bent, word je mentaal leeg van wachten op een blessure die je eigenlijk niet eens wil.