Jhon van Beukering has made a remarkable career switch. The 36-year-old former striker had actually stopped playing football for four years, but has now been forced to put on the football boots and the goalkeeper gloves again. Nowadays, Van Beukering is under the bar as a goalkeeper at fourth division team SC Veluwezoom from Velp, Gelderland, where he actually works as a trainer.

SC Veluwezoom, who was promoted to the fourth division of Sunday football last season, is currently facing serious personnel problems. Six players, including two keepers, decided to exchange the first team for a team of friends. Van Beukering calls it ‘really crazy’ that he has to be on target. “I do it for a team”, the former striker says in conversation with the Gelderlander. “I don’t blame those guys, but the moment is unhappy.”

“Certainly because I canceled players who wanted to play here this summer because we were full”, the SC Veluwezoom trainer continues. In last Sunday’s match against Grasshoppers, which won 4-1, Van Beukering made a good impression and that doesn’t surprise him. “I used to scoot in the C1 of De Graafschap. Our keepers were injured. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and I were the youngest of the team and then took turns on goal. I don’t train for it now, although I am in the goal during matches. ”

The two-time Indonesian international played in the youth for De Graafschap and Vitesse and subsequently played for PEC Zwolle, again De Graafschap, NEC Nijmegen, Go Ahead Eagles, Feyenoord, Pelita Jaya and FC Dordrecht. In 2013 Van Beukering decided to take a step back towards the amateurs, where he played for FC Presikhaaf, MASV and SC Veluwezoom. Four years ago he played his last game as a striker for the club where he is currently active as a trainer, at the time in the fifth division. “I can still make a goal, but I have zero running ability. No, then I can keep better. ”

“The trainer approves and takes part in the game. You can see it better from the goal than from the dug-out. It is working out very well ”, says captain Jara Arends about the role of Van Beukering at SC Veluwezoom. The new position of his trainer also has a positive influence on Sander Kok. “I am actually a midfielder. Central in the back takes some getting used to. The trainer is now literally behind me and tells me exactly where to walk. ”