Jörgen Strand Larsen finds it a great honor that he can work with Arjen Robben every day at FC Groningen, who returned on Sunday against sc Heerenveen (0-2) after six months of injuries. The forward from Norway will never forget September 13, 2020, because that day he played a match with Robben for the first time. However, the joy was short-lived, as the 37-year-old winger was injured against PSV after half an hour at the time.
“The night before my first match for FC Groningen I called my parents and friends in Norway”, Strand Larsen looks back at the request of Football International. “I said:” Tomorrow I will be in the starting line-up against PSV. And do you know who is next to me? Arjen Robben. “They couldn’t believe it, and I didn’t actually believe it at the time. he went to me. To go through some things and make agreements on how best to move when he was going to give a cross, “reminds the Norwegian striker in Dutch service.
Then I thought: It is actually not normal that I, as a young boy from Norway, discuss game situations with the great Arjen Robben“, the enthusiastic Strand Larsen continues about his fellow attacker, who was only part of the Groningen match selection again on Sunday.” I have been really looking forward to his return. If he participates in training, the level goes up immediately. Everything he does is pure quality. The pace at which he makes choices, how fast he moves the ball. So impressive. The fact that he is back on the field is great for himself, but also for us as fellow players. “
“I have a lot of admiration for what he has done in recent months. In my opinion there is an important lesson in it: that if you want to get the most out of your career, you have to be as determined as he is”, Robben receives as a compliment. . In the months that the winger was absent, Strand Larsen regularly watched actions by his well-known teammate on YouTube. “The great thing is: it’s still exactly the same. The same movements, the same actions. But even if you know what he’s up to, you often can’t do anything about it, because he can perform it at such a high speed.” exults the Norwegian striker, who has one big wish. “A match report in which you read: Goal Jørgen Strand Larsen, assist Arjen Robben. That’s a dream.”