Denzel Dumfries has spoken in a candid interview about the pressure that rests on a player’s shoulders. The right back tells, including in conversation with The Telegraph that he called in a ‘helpline’ after the group stage at the World Cup in Qatar: a sports psychologist. “I have the right people around me who help me,” says Dumfries.
Dumfries had a difficult start at the World Cup. Where he hardly appeared in the the Dutch squad in the group matches, he suddenly fulfilled an absolute hero’s role in the eighth final against the United States (3-1 win) with two assists and a goal. The criticism of him and the Dutch national team in the group stage ‘erode’ him, the right back admits in the interview with the newspaper.
“I am glad that I was able to take revenge in sport,” said Dumfries immediately after the game in the catacombs of the Khalifa International Stadium. “I can tell you that the criticism you receive has not been easy. You feel that you can do better than you showed in the group stage. Mentally it was quite hard to put yourself over it.” The day after the victory, the right back of Internazionale indicates that the mental aspect is crucial in top football.
“I have the right people around me to help me. I have been in contact with sports psychologist Annemieke Zijerveld via Zoom over the past few days. I have known them since my time at Sparta. There may be a bit of a taboo to talk about it. It’s not always easy to be a footballer, it does something to you. You want to be important, you want to do the best for the team. A certain mental resilience is also very important for this.”
“It is important to be mentally healthy,” continues Dumfries. “I’ll be honest it was quite difficult. Anyway, then you have to find the inner peace to return to basics. She helps me with that and I am grateful for that. It may be hard to admit, but it’s part of the game. I am happy that I now had the inner peace to be important for the team. It is an underexposed aspect. We are also vulnerable. In that respect, I think that by being open to it, you can encourage others to seek help if you need it.”