Coach Dick Advocaat chose Feyenoord’s Eredivisie opener against PEC Zwolle last weekend to post Jens Toornstra on the bench in favour of newcomer Mark Diemers. This decision disappointed the veteran, but Lawyer doesn’t seem to have any intention of changing his mind.

“We’ll just pay him by”, he’ll be joking Friday afternoon by Football International quoted at the press conference in the run-up to Sunday afternoon’s match against FC Twente. “Those are professionals, they have to be able to deal with that, no matter how difficult it may be. But if players can’t deal with that, they shouldn’t play at a club like Feyenoord.

Lawyer now has several positions to choose from, including central back. Feyenoord welcomed Uros Spajic earlier this week, who comes over on a rental basis from the Russian FK Krasnodar. The coach is pleased with the arrival of the Serbian, who according to him is more than just a ‘demolisher’: “It’s not a boy who runs away from an opponent, but it’s not good for Feyenoord and for a player to take a demolisher straight away.

“He played at Anderlecht, Toulouse and Krasnodar, then he can really play football. I think they bought him for six million. But of course he can hit someone now and then,” says Advocaat. Apart from Spajic João Teixeira was recently added to the squad, which means Feyenoord are ready on the transfer market: “We still needed a front runner and a midfielder, which we have. If no one leaves, we’re ready”, he is clear.