As a youth player of Almere City, Silvester van der Water earned a living as a road worker at a young age. Always hard work, that’s what they gave him from home. Not knowing that years later he would be offered a lucrative contract with Orlando City. Where Heracles Almelo struggled last summer, the attacker got his way a few weeks ago. In Florida, Van der Water pursues his dream in the coming years and becomes a teammate of Nani and Alexandre Pato. “It’s fun to play with big names, but they only start to appreciate you when you perform and do your best.”
By Mart Oude Nijeweeme
The first message that Van der Water received when he was admitted to Orlando’s group app came from Júnior Urso. ‘Welcome Silvester’, the Brazilian midfielder hurled into the Whatsapp group. “In Dutch. Isn’t that nice? ”, Beams Van der Water. “I think that’s great class. That they take the trouble to greet me in Dutch. ” The winger has been inundated with reactions in recent weeks when his transfer to the Florida-based MLS club was finally completed. “The best bell came from my parents. They were so proud of me. At one point I kept my mouth shut and didn’t keep them informed about everything. I wanted to surprise them. ”
The attacker grew up in ‘t Gooi, the home of noble descendants and cold shit, but unlike many Gooi girls, has always had to work hard for his money. As a teenager he earned pocket money as a road worker. Wake up at 5:30 in the morning, and then return home late in the evening. These were long and tough days for Van der Water, who only later discovered that he had a future in professional football. “My parents drove me to the training at that time. I didn’t have a driver’s license yet. We normally had it at home. Not wide, but not poor either. My parents have always taught me to take care of myself and work hard for my money. I am still grateful to them for that. They allow me this step and knew that I wanted this for a long time. It’s just such a shame they can’t come. I would like to show them everything. ”
That it is now only about the mega contract with which the 24-year-old Van der Water would earn his football pension, he thinks exaggerated. “I think the media makes it too big an issue for me to become a millionaire. Of course I will improve financially. Compared to Heracles it is even a very big step. And that is also important. But I am not someone who likes to talk about money. I try to keep my own values and standards. ” Those principles were, however, thrown overboard in September, when Heracles declined an offer from Orlando and Van der Water decided to unsubscribe from trainer Frank Wormuth a few hours before the away game against Willem II by means of a Whatsapp message. This led to outrage on the part of the German trainer and Heracles, who imposed the maximum fine on him.
The incident brought Van der Water to criticism in a storm. Supporters no longer had to see him in Heracles’ shirt and the media also disapproved of the erratic winger’s behavior. “That has caused me some hassle. I have also seen the messages on social media. I think it’s a shame that some people don’t dare to say it in real life. That always goes from behind a screen. ” Anyway, Van der Water has come to his senses. Six months after his act, he regrets it. “That was a mistake and I should have handled it differently. I want to emphasize that my agent had nothing to do with it. That is always said quickly, but it was my own choice not to come. Some things went back and forth between me and the club and I was dissatisfied with that. But that’s no reason not to come to a game. ”
It turned out to be a stain on an otherwise pleasant stay in Almelo. After his switch from Almere City in the summer of 2018, Van der Water had a difficult start, but in the second season he enjoyed Wormuth’s confidence and grew to become a trendsetter on Almelo artificial grass, making the distribution of pannas his trademark. In total, Van der Water made 54 appearances at Heracles, in which he managed to score 10 times. “The trainer has said from the start that he gave me the time. I’ve had a hard time getting on. At the time, I could be annoying too. Grumble at the trainer. That is mainly in behavior. I was a young boy. In retrospect, I am happy that Heracles gave me the time. I came from the Kitchen Champion Division and have been able to develop well during that time. For example, in the beginning I was very restless at the ball. Later that went much better. You are looking for a new challenge every time. ”
Van der Water ultimately played 59 matches for Heracles Almelo, which received a sum of 1.3 million euros.
In the coming years, that challenge will lie in America. Florida to be precise. Orlando is another rookie in Major League Soccer (MLS) and has only competed in the top US soccer league since 2015, after the club was founded by Phil and Kay Rawlins in 2010. Last season, the club achieved the best final result so far, when a handsome fourth place was occupied in the Eastern Conference. “Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to see the club yet because of the flight ban,” says Van der Water. “They did send a lot of videos. I expect something very beautiful, but it will certainly be done. Also because I come from a different climate. The MLS has grown tremendously in recent years. That also attracts, of course, when you know that the competition is getting stronger. ”
With his transition to the other side of the ocean, Van der Water’s career suddenly takes a completely different turn and in a few weeks he can call himself a teammate of Nani, Alexandre Pato and João Moutinho. They are the second generation of star players at Orlando, after the club previously managed to seduce Kakà and Júlio Baptista to stay in the purple of the Lions. Van der Water himself can hardly believe it. “Those are guys I only played with on FIFA and watched on television. No, I haven’t spoken to them yet. But that is not necessary. Most players are still on vacation. Realization is slowly starting to come. Of course it has been going on for longer. Eight months ago, the club showed interest for the first time, but then it was not the right time. I am glad that it has now happened. America is a country I’ve always dreamed of. Initially for a holiday. It is fantastic that I am now going to play football there. ”
Van der Water will still have to be patient. While the start of the preparation still takes another week, the attacker can focus on obtaining his work permit and the move. The new season in the MLS kicks off April 17. “At the moment my house is being cleared. In a week I will no longer be in the Netherlands. When you become a footballer, you also have to be adventurous. Then you have to be open to things. Some footballers prefer to stay in the Netherlands or nearby. That’s possible, but that’s not how I work. I like the adventure. How am I going to introduce myself? Like I always do. Just with first and last name. It is very nice to play with big names, they only start to appreciate you when you do your best and play well yourself. I think a lot of guys can only dream of this. ”