Marciano Vink enjoyed the performance of Mees Hilgers on Friday evening. The center defender of FC Twente scored the only goal against Heracles Almelo (1-0) and has quickly emerged as a fixed value in the team of trainer Ron Jans. Vink even goes a step further and sees certain characteristics in Hilgers that Jurriën Timber also has, he tells Sunday at Good morning Eredivisie.
“When I started at FC Twente last year, we had almost no players,” says Jans, who was also a guest on the football talk show. “Then there were also youth players. A number of them are developing very well. They are wonderful guys to work with and Mees is one of them. When I first spoke to him, he said that he wanted to become a basic player and score goals. “I then said that he should first try to prevent them as a defender. He is like Jurriën Timber, they don’t make those wild, stupid, unnecessary offenses. They are short, but they do it very well. Timber is a step further, by the way.”
Vink is also pleased with the development of the defender, who returned to his trusted position in the heart of the defense against Heracles. “How funny that you say that, because that’s what I just wanted to say”, Vink adds the trainer of Twente. “He had a Timber-like action on the side in the first half, taking the ball behind his standing leg. He has something Timber-like. Being able to estimate where a situation is going to get dangerous, without having to make a tackle or have to go into the game full. He has that too. We have also discussed it here in recent weeks. You are looking at the development of a very good player.”
Hilgers himself appeared on Friday evening with a big smile in front of the camera of ESPN, after scoring his first Eredivisie goal against the rival from Almelo. “This was my ninth basic game,” said the centre-back. “I heard it a few times at the club that it was time to score. It’s nice to get a shot, especially in the derby.” The defender went to the ground in the second half and had to be replaced after more than an hour, but indicated afterwards that it was not that bad. “Cramps in both calves,” he said. “No, I did get a death kick, but I could still stand on my legs. That was not the reason I got off.”