Kaj Sierhuis signed a contract at Stade de Reims in January of this year until mid-2024. At the time he was rented out by Ajax to FC Groningen and was in the right place there. He had to quickly decide whether to accept the French offer and he did. Sierhuis leaves to the NOS know that he looked up information on the internet about the current number sixteen of the Ligue 1 and then decided to transfer.

“My whole life was turned upside down, yes,” says Sierhuis, who scored on 26 January on behalf of Groningen against Ajax (2-1 victory), the club where he was under contract. Just before the winter transfer market closed, French interest came to light. “It was quite a bizarre time, exciting also”, says the international of the Dutch Juniors. “Normally you want to take the time for a transfer, but Reims reported shortly before the transfer deadline. I barely had to think.”

Sierhuis had heard of Stade de Reims, but did not know the club. That is why he immersed himself in the club and the city northeast of Paris in a short time. “On livescore.com I looked at how they were doing in Ligue 1, watched the selection on Transfermarkt and watched some summaries on Youtube. You can’t do much more ”, says Sierhuis, who thought a transfer to Stade de Reims was a great next step. “It fits my path. I went from Jong Ajax to FC Groningen to make minutes. And I played there for a year in the Eredivisie. Reims is also a mid-engine, but in a bigger league. So a step forward. “

Sierhuis got injured on his hamstring after thirteen minutes on his debut and then did not play anymore in the season that was interrupted by the corona crisis. It was a difficult time for the talented striker. “Then sometimes haunts your head: why did I make this choice?” He says. “It is sometimes forgotten by people who don’t see footballers as people, but only as footballers. But something like that is quite a drastic choice in your life. To leave your friends and family to pursue your dream. That can be mentally tough for players. “This season he played eight times in Ligue 1, but he hasn’t scored yet.

Sierhuis now also sees the right place in France. According to him, this is partly because he is fluent in the French language. “I had six years of French in secondary school, so you pick up the language faster. It also has to do with character “, says Sierhuis.” I am not a quiet boy, I can be heard in the dressing room. So I just talk a lot in French with those guys, so that I make mistakes and get corrected. “Sierhuis acknowledges that in the first period he had to get used to a foreign city, a different country and a different football culture.” But now my girlfriend is come to live with me and she is working hard to learn French and find a job. That makes it all a lot easier for me now. “