Ruud van Nistelrooij was full of praise for Dick Advocaat during the press conference in the run-up to the TOTO KNVB Cup match between PSV and ADO Den Haag on Wednesday. On Thursday evening, Van Nistelrooij will face the 75-year-old trainer of ADO in the Philips Stadium, who, according to the PSV coach, is ‘perhaps the best trainer ever’.
Both trainers know each other well. In 1998 they just missed out on a collaboration, when Van Nistelrooij signed as a player with PSV, but coach Advocaat just left for Rangers. Later on, however, their paths crossed: Van Nistelrooij was a striker for a while in the Dutch national team of national coach Advocaat and later they were assistants at the Dutch team.
“I think it’s very special that I’m facing Dick tomorrow,” Van Nistelrooij said at the press conference on Wednesday Broadcasting Brabant. “He is a great coach and a great person. His fanaticism is contagious. He is perhaps the greatest trainer ever.” Despite that admiration for his colleague, Van Nistelrooij has only one goal with PSV on Thursday: to win. “We see the cup as a grand prize. There is an excellent opportunity to reach the semi-finals on Thursday. We are fully committed to that.”
The people of Eindhoven will try that with Joël Drommel under the crossbar. The 26-year-old goalkeeper, who also played PSV’s previous two cup matches, will replace Walter Benítez, who has injured his knee, in the coming period. Van Nistelrooij has full confidence in Drommel, who according to him has the qualities of a first goalkeeper. “It is very unfortunate for Walter Benitez that he is injured. But luckily we have a good second goalkeeper. Although I don’t even want to call Joël Drommel that. We actually have two first keepers.”
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