Nick Olij leaves nothing to be desired in terms of clarity

Nick Olij has, after spending a year on the bench at PSV, spoken out quite openly about his future. Olij wants a change in the situation. And he’s right, because the goalkeeper who came from Sparta Rotterdam has the right to be that—concurrent Matej Kovar is certainly not beyond controversy.

For Peter Bosz, Kovar is again not without controversy, but the goalkeeper from the Czech Republic still makes quite a few mistakes and should nevertheless be on his toes next season. For Olij, it applies that he wants to pull out all the stops in order to become first-choice goalkeeper at PSV.

After the friendly match against Royal Antwerp FC, Olij spoke with Eindhovens Dagblad. Last season, Olij made just one official appearance in the Eredivisie and saw his availability in the second half of the season further limited by an injury. Whether the Czech goalkeeper can be displaced under the bar by Olij remains to be seen, but Olij is at least eager to take on the challenge.

"Last season doesn’t really count for me anymore. I’ve closed the chapter and I’m really looking ahead. I’m going into the new season with full confidence and I’m just going all out for my chance. You learn what it’s like not to play and still stay sharp every day. You have to be physically and mentally ready for the moment when you’re needed. That’s not always easy, but it comes with the job".

"I want to be a colleague who helps the team and who just gives his very best every day in training", the goalkeeper says about his professional attitude within the group. "But in the end it’s simple: I want to play. That’s why you’re a footballer. I’m not going to get in anyone’s way or do weird things to force my place. But I will give everything to show that I have to play. In a few weeks you’ll see for yourself how the decisions turn out", says Nick Olij, who leaves nothing to be desired in terms of clarity when it comes to the new season.