The Kitchen Champion Division has been used as a nursery for national and international talents for decades and this season too, many football players with potential are walking around on the second level. Voetbalzone, the official media partner of the Kitchen Champion Division, highlights one of these talents every week, this time focusing on Jethro Mashart, who seems to be experiencing the season of his definitive breakthrough at NAC Breda.
By Chris Meijer
Even for the supporters of NAC Breda it was a big surprise when they saw the line-up for the home match against Ajax almost three years ago. Suddenly there was the name of Jethro Mashart, an eighteen-year-old left back who had never been on the reserve bench for the first team before that game. Without even a second of professional football experience, he had to restrain David Neres and the Ajax that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in that season. It was a night of extremes for the debutant: he played a creditable game and his direct opponent did not score, but he also opened the score with an own goal that would eventually rise to 0-3. “Too bad, but that can happen to anyone”, Mashart grins when he thinks back to that November day. “That was a great experience, really wonderful to make your debut against such a big club like Ajax.”
“I was told a day in advance that I would play. I couldn’t really sleep well because I was just thinking about it. That same day I wasn’t really nervous until we got on the field for the warm-up. Then I did feel it. But when the whistle blows, you lose those nerves in one fell swoop,” says Mashart. As soon as he appeared in the starting eleven, he also disappeared from the picture after playing one more Eredivisie match (against FC Groningen). In the past two seasons that NAC spent in the Kitchen Champion Division, Mashart shuttled up and down between the starting eleven and the reserve bench.
Mashart is too quick in his first official match for NAC against Ajax David Neres.
This season, however, Mashart can generally count on a permanent place in the team of trainer Edwin de Graaf. With the exception of the matches against FC Eindhoven and TOP Oss, he kicked off in all matches. “It’s definitely going well. I get my minutes, I’m very happy with that. It could always be better, but so far I’m satisfied. I see the past few years as learning moments. Last year I made some minutes, but it was not my best year. Even with injuries. Now I’m getting into great shape, things are going in the right direction. I’m ready to play a lot, I know what I can do,” Mashart nods. “I have patience anyway. I’m still young and I talk a lot with my teammates. Patience is a virtue, so you’ll be fine if you keep working hard. I see it as a reward that I often have a basic place now.”
Mashart had to give a lot for a breakthrough at NAC. Most of his teammates from the famous Rotterdam amateur club Spartaan’20 – including Lutsharel Geertruida and Joshua Zirkzee (‘I still have daily contact with them. About football, but also other things. I always watch their matches, I see that they do good and am proud of them’) – usually ended up elsewhere in the city, at Feyenoord, Excelsior or Sparta Rotterdam. Mashart had to look further afield and commuted for years by public transport up and down between his hometown of Rotterdam and Breda. “By train, bus and a short walk”, that’s how Mashart describes his daily ritual. “I only got my driver’s license this year. In recent years I also drove to the club with Mario Bilate, Gervane Kastaneer and Pelé van Anholt.”
For now, Mashart has 49 official matches for NAC to his name.
“I was a bit shocked when I heard that NAC wanted me, I didn’t expect it. But I immediately agreed, you have to take such an opportunity and do your best”, Mashart continues. In the meantime, he seems to be ready for his final breakthrough in professional football at NAC. “Defensively, I can do better. I’m a back who likes to come up, participate a lot offensively. I look at a lot of images to see what can be improved and I learn a lot from that. I look at Marcelo or Jetro Willems, backs who come up a lot and have good technique. But also to Tyrell Malacia, who is super strong defensively and offensively.”
Mashart signed a new contract with NAC in February, which binds him to the club until mid-2023. Before that contract expires, Mashart has one big goal: to return to the Eredivisie with NAC. “Play as much as possible and get promoted to the Eredivisie. Yes, those are my goals for this season. Can we promote this season already? We are confident that it should be possible this year, we have a team with enough qualities.”
Name: Jethro Mashart
Date of birth: May 8, 2000
Club: NAC Breda
Position: left back
Strengths: speed, attacking qualities, cross
Voetbalzone is the official media partner of the Kitchen Champion Division
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