Friday, April 23, 2021 at 8:30 PM• Rian Rosendaal

Wim Kieft is not convinced that Joey Veerman is already ready for the step to one of the top clubs in the Eredivisie. The analyst does not see the sc Heerenveen midfielder as quickly playing at Ajax or PSV, where the level and pace are a lot higher. In that context, Kieft refers to Ryan Gravenberch, in the eyes of the former attacker the midfielder of the future.

“In the Netherlands, Joey Veerman van Heerenveen is often highly rated, but that is a completely different story. He has great qualities at the ball, but he hardly moves”, Kieft points out a downside in his column. The Telegraph. According to him, the top clubs nowadays are looking for players who master all facets of football. “That is not accepted at the top, not even at the top clubs from the Eredivisie. By the way, whether his game at the ball is expressed just as well at Ajax or PSV as at Heerenveen, I wonder.”

Kieft explains why he is skeptical about a possible transfer of Veerman to the top in the Eredivisie. “At Heerenveen he plays in a larger space than at Ajax or PSV, he gets more time on the ball, it is easier to put more depth in your game and the pace is slower.” In the absolute top Veerman will have to deal with defensive teams and small spacers, while he will also have to defend much more, according to Kieft. “The big question is whether Joey Veerman can still make a difference under those circumstances. See Oussama Tannane at Vitesse. He was simply covered by Edson Alvarez in the cup final against Ajax and was very easily eliminated from the match. Much more than defensive work. the Mexican also does not add to Ajax, although he scored against FC Utrecht. “

In the view of the analyst and columnist, Gravenberch is already much further ahead than someone like Veerman. “Put it against Ryan Gravenberch, who already encounters more resistance during Ajax training than in most Eredivisie duels. He is the example of a modern, complete midfielder at top level. Although he is only eighteen years old,” said Kieft , who thinks the Ajax player is the ideal player in 2021. “While players like Veerman and Tannane are more like the midfielders of thirty years ago.”