Van der Vaart points to Joey Veerman: 'Still'

Last month, Joey Veerman finally got the transfer he wanted, and the midfielder left PSV for Borussia Dortmund. Veerman was replaced at PSV by Kodai Sano, and according to analyst Rafael van der Vaart, Veerman’s departure is a major loss for PSV.

That is what Van der Vaart says in the NOS Football podcast. The former midfielder of, among others, Ajax and Real Madrid, calls the former PSV player in his time at SC Heerenveen 'the Pirlo of SC Heerenveen.'

Still, the analyst sees that PSV has brought in a good replacement with Sano, but one of a different type than the Volendammer. ''It’s often said: a player leaves and then it suddenly goes well. I think that Japanese guy is playing brilliantly too, but completely different. Veerman was in his element the best in the Eredivisie, and still'', the former footballer says.

Yet Van der Vaart makes a point about Veerman and also mentions European matches in the PSV shirt. ''I’ve always said that he was playing by a little bit too slowly. When he played for Heerenveen, I always called him the Pirlo of Heerenveen. That passing and that calmness. In the Champions League he also always played good matches, but then you could see that he needed a bit more time. Then he would often end up getting into trouble'', continues the analyst.

In conclusion, the former Netherlands international asks himself whether PSV’s new signings will be able to match Veerman’s level. ''Don’t forget what he did for PSV—that is unique. Those new guys still have to match that. I hope he shows it at Dortmund as well. Then he can prove me wrong; he doesn’t have to, but it would be nice if he excels there,'' Van der Vaart said.