Guus Hiddink opens the playbook about former PSV man: “An identical situation”

Guus Hiddink coached the necessary players in two periods as head coach of PSV. Among others, Ruud Gullit, Ronald Koeman, Mark van Bommel and Phillip Cocu all played under Hiddink.

Current analyst René van der Gijp also experienced the born Varssevelder as head coach of PSV. Van der Gijp, who was active for PSV between 1984 and 1987, first encountered Hiddink as an assistant coach before the Achterhoeker was appointed head coach in 1987.

In the SBS6 program Het Oranje Café, Hiddink pulls an old anecdote about the current analyst out of the closet after presenter Sam van Royen tells a story about Lionel Messi. ''I once heard the story that FC Barcelona went to train and had to do ten sprints. And after three sprints, Lionel Messi thought: 'this is plenty'. And the coach said nothing about it at all,'' Van Royen says.

After that, Hiddink comes with the anecdote about Van der Gijp. ''I also know someone like that from the time when I was an assistant at PSV. An identical situation, with the father of this'', the former coach says, who then points to Renés son Nicky.

Then Van der Gijp junior has to laugh enormously and Hiddink continues the story. ''Kraay senior said that René had to sprint along the touchline, provide the cross for Ruudje Gullit and he had to head it in. René had to sprint fifty times, but after seven sprints René said: 'That’s enough, no more''', according to the born Achterhoeker.