Wednesday, March 3, 2021 at 8:52 PM• Chris Meijer • Last update: 21:05

Kenneth Perez thinks that Joey Veerman could bring ‘a lot of football’ to PSV’s midfield. The Danish analyst calls the 22-year-old midfielder a ‘lovely kid’ in the run-up to the match between sc Heerenveen and Ajax in the semi-final of the TOTO KNVB Cup. Yet Perez does not dare to say whether Veerman can already handle the step to a Dutch top club.

Presenter Milan van Dongen asks Perez at which club in the top of the Eredivisie he sees Veerman playing. “I think he could bring a lot of football to midfield at PSV. Provided a trainer wants it, ”Perez replies. Van Dongen responds that he does not see PSV coach Roger Schmidt and Veerman “1,2,3 together”. “Well, I think that is because of the situation with Ihattaren,” the analyst points out the current riot around Mohamed Ihattaren, who was kicked out of PSV’s selection for disciplinary reasons. “As a result, we think Schmidt cannot deal with technical players, but that will not be the case. After all, he can also deal with Götze. ”

“The only thing, whatever he says himself, is that Veerman has a certain manual,” Perez continues. “If you say something to Veerman, you can expect something in return. And that is not always convenient, especially if you come to a club where there are two more waiting for you. Maybe it’s a process he should go through then. You may not like a player better or more because of his interviews, but I think he is a lovely kid. In any case, he does not show socially desirable behavior, which you see with many other players. Now and then I get very tired of that. ”

Van Dongen explains to Perez whether Veerman should actually be able to handle it at a top club. “I don’t know”, the analyst replies. “Sometimes I think: does he really have the fire to play in the absolute top and does he really want to get fit? Does he really want to give up everything? Look, he can play football like the best. In this he is perhaps one of the best players in the Eredivisie, with whom play at the top clubs. But things don’t go the way you want at a top club, you have to make concessions. ”