Dutch professional footballers can be found in all corners of the world, from the spotlights of the major European leagues to the more adventurous jobs on other continents. In the Over de Grens section, Voetbalzone speaks weekly with a player who is active outside the national borders. This time with attention to Ian Smeulers, who went through almost all youth teams as a left back at Feyenoord. He is now a permanent fixture in the starting eleven of Sandefjord Fotball, which plays in the Eliteserien, the highest level in Norway.
By Wessel Antes
Where Feyenoord brought several Norwegians to Rotterdam in recent seasons with Marcus Pedersen, Fredrik Aursnes, Fredrik André Bjørkan, Sondre Skogen and Mikael Tørset Johnsen, only one player went the opposite way: Ian Smeulers. The 22-year-old left back signed a contract with Sandefjord in the summer of 2021, where he has been a regular base player ever since. But how does a boy from Barendrecht suddenly end up at a relatively unknown club from Norway?
For a long time, Smeulers dreamed of playing in De Kuip. He was part of a successful batch of youth players including Orkun Kökçü, Lutsharel Geertruida and Wouter Burger. The left leg played in Feyenoord’s youth academy for over fifteen years, the club he has supported all his life. “I have a lot of feeling at Feyenoord because I have actually spent my whole life at the club. When I got there I was five or six years old. Until I was 21 I walked around Varkenoord almost every day. I myself also come from near Rotterdam, so that is extra special.”
Smeulers as a Feyenoord Under 19 player against Manchester City in the Youth League
At Feyenoord, Smeulers played with the Under 19 in the Youth League. A season of which he has many warm memories. “That year I had a good season and we had a great team. Finally, we also won the cup final against PSV at Varkenoord. That’s a game I often think about. Almost everyone in that team has made it to professional football. The nice thing was that we were very close, even off the field. I went on holiday with Wouter Burger, while I sometimes see Achraf (El Bouchataoui, ed.) when I’m back in Rotterdam. The rest I regularly talk to online via social media.”
In the end, Smeulers was allowed to make his unofficial basic debut for Feyenoord in a practice match against FC Twente in De Kuip. “That is an experience that no one can take away from me. Something I will cherish forever.” Smeulers has no problem with the fact that Feyenoord did not make an official debut in the end. “It’s just been a process that I gave everything for. That’s all I could do. Of course as a Feyenoord player you dream of playing in De Kuip for a long time, but it’s no different and you just have to keep going. In the end I made it to professional football and that was my goal.”
Smeulers during his unofficial debut for the main squad of Feyenoord in De Kuip
After a less successful loan to Willem II (previously FC Dordrecht), Smeulers was allowed to look for a new club transfer-free last summer. He set out a few things for himself. “I had decided that I absolutely wanted to play in the top division of a country. So then I went to see what suits me in terms of environment. I didn’t want to go to a country with too big cultural differences with the Netherlands. Then I started doing research and soon found myself in Scandinavia. Also because reverse transfers are often made from this environment, just look at Feyenoord, and actually the entire Eredivisie.”
After Smeulers had thrown out some lines with his agent, things suddenly went fast. “Finally, on the last day of the transfer window, I got a call that Sandefjord wanted me. A day later I was on my way to Norway and signed my contract. That was special, because I am a boy who values my family and friends. Still, I chose to take the step and move abroad, where I also started living on my own for the first time. I can now say that it has worked out perfectly, because as a person I have already learned a lot here.”
Although Smeulers had been thinking about a possible move abroad for a while, it was a shock for those around him. “Actually you are busy with a transfer all the time, but when the time comes you really have to switch. Not only myself, but also the people around me. In the end I also have to stand on my own two feet and they understand that too. Fortunately, I was allowed to return to the Netherlands shortly after signing to say goodbye.”
Smeulers thinks that it has played a role that he has more than fifteen years at Feyenoord and several youth international matches for the Dutch on his resume. “Feyenoord has a big name internationally and Dutch football is in good shape at the moment. My team is trained by the father of Martin Ødegaard (Hans Erik, ed.) and he knows the Dutch competition fairly well, because his son played at sc Heerenveen and Vitesse. He is aware of the Dutch school and I think that has helped me as a player.”
Smeulers was able to adapt immediately in Norway. “In the first month that I came here I actually only slept in a hotel. I was immediately in the starting line-up and that was nice because I immediately got into a certain race rhythm. I immediately felt that I was really part of the team and that of course gives me confidence. The rest will come naturally. You play football, train and have fun at the club. It also helped that the cultural differences are small. Norway doesn’t feel like a completely different country and they also have stroopwafels here, for example, so that’s great, haha!”
The counter currently stands at 35 official matches for Sandefjord. Smeulers was in the starting line-up in almost every game. “I think I had no problem with Sandefjord’s playing style because we want to play the same as Dutch teams. High pressure, attacking backs and with the will to really play football. That was already ingrained in me at Feyenoord. I am comfortable with the ball and have a good cross in the house and that is advantageous in the system how we play. Defensively, I am a real Feyenoord boy: aggressive and good at performing my duties.”
Smeulers in a duel during the game against Rosenborg BK, 26-time national champion of Norway
Yet there are also differences between professional football players from the Netherlands and Norway. “The players here are pretty much on their own, so I also had to be on my own in my spare time. At Feyenoord I was used to often doing fun things with teammates, but here everyone also has their family and obligations at home. Fortunately, I quickly found a rhythm and in that time I also benefited a lot from my Playstation. I have played and called a lot with friends from the Netherlands. I soon had a structure in my life here and immediately noticed that it worked out well for me on the field.”
Smeulers regularly receives visits from family and friends. “From the Netherlands there is a direct flight of one hour and twenty minutes to Sandefjord itself. I once kept track of it with a stopwatch and then I was within four hours from my home in the Netherlands to my home in Norway. I’ve been living with my girlfriend for a few months now, so that’s nice. I lived alone for the first seven or eight months, but that was good for me because I was able to learn a lot.”
Life in Norway suits Smeulers well. “I live just outside Sandefjord, in Tønsberg. I deliberately chose that because it is more of a real city, and I like that. It also makes me less likely to have people approach me on the street. Fortunately, they already do that less here than in the Netherlands. When you play a bad game, you will hear that in Rotterdam. Here people are a bit calmer and more careful, in the Netherlands we are very direct.” Also in terms of language, the fullback has not encountered any problems. “Everyone speaks good English in Norway, even children as young as ten years old.”
More than in Rotterdam, Smeulers can now fully focus on his career. “Actually, after I’ve been to the club, I go straight home. My girlfriend and I now also have a dog and that takes a lot of time. In addition, I also just try to follow courses and do other things for myself. I have a lot of time for going to the gym, because I now really have the full focus on football. There are few outside distractions. My club has a great deal on one of Norway’s best spas, so I’m taking advantage of that too!”
Smeulers in a physical duel, which the Norwegian league is generally known for
Sandefjord has only been around since 1998 and has managed to maintain itself in the Norwegian Eliteserien in recent years. “We now really want to become a stable mid-market engine in Norway. We try to do that through good football. It’s a pretty small club. Many tourists, including Norwegians themselves, come here in the summer to celebrate their holidays. People always expect it to be extremely cold everywhere in Norway, but luckily that is not the case here. You get those temperatures when you go further north. Away matches at Molde FK and FK Bodø/Glimt are therefore less favorable. PSV has to go there in November, so they will experience that.”
Since February, Sandefjord has, in addition to Smeulers, another Dutchman in the selection. The 31-year-old Quint Jansen, who has been under contract with various Norwegian clubs since 2014. The presence of Jansen is nice for Smeulers. “Sometimes it’s nice to just speak Dutch. Then it’s a lot less about just football. It feels a little more familiar when there is also a Dutchman nearby. He is also next to me in the field and that is even easier in terms of communication. We now speak Dutch, Norwegian and English together.”
Avid followers of Feyenoord will also recognize another name in Sandefjord’s selection: Harmeet Singh. The Norwegian midfielder played eleven games in Feyenoord’s main squad between 2012 and 2014. As a result, Smeulers immediately clicked with him. “Especially in the beginning, I talked a lot with him about his time in Rotterdam. He still knows a few slang words from the Netherlands, so that was funny too. We also spoke about Feyenoord and have mutual acquaintances at the club. He knows very well what the Dutch are like and how you can deal with us.”
At Sandefjord, Smeulers plays as a left back with number 4 on his back
Smeulers is still stuck at Sandefjord until mid-2023. He has not really thought about the next step yet. “First I want to finish the season well with Sandefjord. So far I have played almost everything, except for one game due to a suspension. It’s very exciting down there. There are five or six teams that are close to each other. It is important that we finish the season well. I want to contribute to that myself and then I will see what will happen in the winter.”
For Smeulers, his move to Sandefjord has been a bull’s eye. “I hadn’t played for a long time and just wanted to make minutes at the highest level. Sometimes it’s good to step out of your comfort zone and move into a new environment. For boys who fail in the Netherlands, the right step abroad, at a club that expresses confidence, is certainly a good option. I also notice that other guys from Norway are making nice steps higher, so that is certainly possible.”
Smeulers also dreams about a next step, although the picture has to fit exactly. “I actually keep all options open in Europe, as long as it is at the highest level. That can be in Scandinavia, but also back to the Netherlands or Belgium.” His dream transfer in about five years? “That would be Italy, in Serie A of course. Although playing in the Serie B, Championship or second Bundesliga is of course also great. Those are just big competitions, but I don’t see myself choosing the second level in the Netherlands or Belgium any time soon.”