Sunday, May 9, 2021 at 8:24 PM• Dominic Mostert • Last update: 20:26

Marco van Ginkel enjoyed his return to PSV’s starting eleven on Sunday. After three years and three days, the injury-prone midfielder returned to kick-off: he participated for 86 minutes in the won away game against Willem II (0-2). “It took a while to start, but I have been training for a long time and that is going well. It was nice to get the chance today”, Van Ginkel says after the event. ESPN.

Chelsea’s mercenary came on eight times this season. The fact that he had a basic place for the first time since May 6, 2018, does not say everything. “If you look at it that way, it was a long time ago, but I have come in quite a few times. It was good to start. I have worked hard for it all this time”, says Van Ginkel. The eight-time the Dutch-international has an expiring contract with Chelsea and does not yet know what his future looks like. “Chelsea must officially announce next week whether they are going to exercise my option to extend the contract by one year. I’ll wait and see then.”

Van Ginkel’s contract has been extended several times by a year by Chelsea, but he realizes that the prospect of a breakthrough is small. “The chance that I will play there is not very big”, confirms the former star player of Vitesse. “But when I’m going to play matches, I’m of value. If they can make a few more million … I don’t know how they are in that. It could be, maybe they let me go. I don’t know anything yet. I just want to play football. The most important thing for me is to play matches. We will see. I have a good time here, then you hope for more. “

In the studio of This was the Weekend on ESPN analyst Mario Been responds affirmatively to the question of whether Van Ginkel is ‘potentially the best PSV player’, if he reaches the level he achieved at PSV in the past. “Especially in midfield. Sangaré and Rosario are two identical players; Van Ginkel would fit in well”, said Been. According to table mate Kenneth Perez, the Eredivisie is the ideal place for Van Ginkel to regain competition rhythm. “At some point you have to listen carefully to your body. The Premier League is perhaps the toughest competition there is physically. That seems a bridge too far to me.”