Jetro Willems became champion with PSV, played for Newcastle United in the Premier League and was active with the Dutch team at the European Championship. Nowadays he earns his living at Erve Asito. Football zone visited the left wing defender of Heracles Almelo and spoke to him about Marcel Brands, ‘buddies’ of the Dutch national team and taboos that need to be broken. “Football is old school.”
By Mart Oude Nijeweeme
It was a transfer that many at Heracles did not see coming this summer. While the Almelo team is usually known for recruiting young, talented players, the arrival of Willems focused on routine. “There are plenty of teams in the Eredivisie that need experience,” says the left back. “I am one of those boys. It is true that Heracles often attracts young boys. Our team is also quite young. But you always need a few experienced boys. Otherwise things can quickly go wrong.”
Watch the full interview with Jetro Willems here:
Willems could therefore be retained for the Eredivisie. The 22-time Dutch international had an extremely turbulent year at FC Groningen, including being beaten by his own fan and relegated to the Kitchen Champion Division, but notices that everything is different at Heracles. “I was surprised by a lot of things,” he continues. “Particularly the atmosphere in the stadium. It is always good. But also the circumstances of the club. The philosophy and how the club works. I like that.”
Willems is used to something. Roamed from the Bundesliga to the Premier League and back to the Bundesliga. At the beginning of this year he returned to Dutch soil. Willems still has the ambition to be one of the best left backs in the Netherlands. “Why not?” he wonders out loud. “I said that I want to be there towards the end of the season. We are now at the beginning. I am especially happy that I can play ninety minutes again. I just want to play good football.”
Willems finds it difficult to answer the question of whether Heracles is currently the ceiling. “Yes and no. I was also at Eintracht Frankfurt. Everyone looked at me strangely when I went there, because that club was almost relegated. A year later they were playing in the Champions League. If I had stayed there, I would have “I played for a healthy club in the Champions League. There are also players who go to big clubs and then do not perform. Then I prefer my career with lesser clubs on paper where I have achieved a lot.”
Jetro Willems employed by Newcastle United.
‘Open application’
Last year, Willems caused quite a stir when he hinted on Twitter about a return to PSV. “My son before the match: ‘Dad, you will be transferring to PSV on May 24. Me: ‘Haha, oh yes? Would be nice,” the left wing defender’s post read. While many saw it as an open application, that was never Willem’s intention. “No man. Then I would have to blame them now for taking another left back. If I were really applying, I wouldn’t put it on Twitter. You know how people are. They take everything personally.”
Contact with general manager Marcel Brands is still there. “Marcel has been very good to me during the years at PSV. We have kept in touch a lot since then. As I say: he is like a father to me. He is the same as me in terms of character. A warm man who you can always talk to and who always looks for a solution. I am very good with Marcel. There has never been an open application. I don’t even think he has Twitter. Then I would have done it in a different way.”
Willems is still good with Marcel Brands. “He’s like a father to me.”
Willems is also still in contact with his former teammates from the Dutch team and PSV. He would like to form another duo with Memphis Depay. “Let’s see if it’s still the same as before,” Willems laughs. “But also with Wijnaldum. They are just friends. I also have good contact with Dumfries and Geertruida. I have known Geertruida since he was little. He also played for Sparta, is a boy from South (Rotterdam-Zuid, ed.) “We did it nicely.”
Breaking taboos
Someone who is getting hands-on in the Philips Stadium these days is Noa Lang. Just like Willems, the winger is one of the crowd favorites and is also making a name for himself as a rapper. A good thing, says Willems. “If he enjoys doing it, he should enjoy it. Everyone has his opinion, but he should enjoy doing what he feels good about. Outside of football, why not? One plays the piano, the other is busy with crypto and that bullshit. Noa raps.”
Willems advocates that taboos be broken more often. “Football is old school. You didn’t have that in the past. Things like that were taboo. There is also life besides football. You don’t want to say that players are still football players when they go home, do you? Like a boy that he enjoys doing, if that is his passion besides football, why not? He is not the first and not the last.”
Willems cannot wrap his head around the fact that Lang is often the subject of discussion because of his behavior. “I think it’s crazy that everyone says they have to act normal. Don’t reporters and analysts on television have things they like to do in addition to their work? Johan Derksen, for example, has his own radio show. I’m telling you nor that he is no longer allowed to make radio. If someone plays a bad match, that can be mentioned. But let’s give players a little more value outside the field.”