FC Twente is particularly pleased with Lars Unnerstall, who came over from PSV last summer on a free transfer. The top club from Eindhoven in turn paid 3.5 million euros for Joël Drommel of the club from Enschede. Drommel is having a somewhat changeable season, while Unnerstall receives only positive reviews from the football stars in the Netherlands. “It is important to have a good keeper and we have a very good keeper,” says technical director Jan Streuer.
“Last year we were approached by the agent of Unnerstall whether we were not interested and then we immediately did business, while we were not yet sure whether Joël Drommel would really leave. We did take a risk with that, but it turned out great,” said the FC Twente sports director on Saturday. The Telegraph†
FC Twente is an ideal employer for Unnerstall, as he is busy building a house in his birthplace Ibbenbüren, which is just across the border near Enschede. The goalkeeper is in De Grolsch Veste in 45 minutes and the travel time to the training complex in Hengelo is comparable. In addition, Unnerstall, who turns 32 in July, signed a contract for four seasons with FC Twente.
“It is often said of Unnerstall that he would not play football well enough. With that he made just one mistake this season, in the preparation against Arminia Bielefeld”, counters Streuer. “He knows exactly what he can and cannot do and never takes unnecessary risks. Whether Unnerstall is the best goalkeeper in the Eredivisie? Let me put it this way: I wouldn’t want to exchange goalkeepers with any Eredivisie club.”
Unnerstall has so far been under the bar in 23 FC Twente competition matches and conceded 25 goals. He missed the duels with PSV (5-2 loss) and Willem II (0-1 win), in which Jeffrey de Lange was under the bar.