Investing in yourself opens doors: my third season at FC Groningen
A good season rarely comes down to one big decision. More often, it is the result of small choices: keeping up your training, listening to others, looking after your body and putting in extra work when nobody is watching. My third season at FC Groningen turned out to be my best at the club personally. I had fewer injury problems, my form kept improving and I scored seventeen goals. Eventually, that led to interest from PSV. That transfer did not come out of nowhere. The foundations were laid during the months when I decided to invest more in my body and my development.
A stronger FC Groningen
The previous season, we had failed to qualify for Europe. That was disappointing, especially as we now knew how special European matches are for a club, a team and its supporters.
Even so, we had a good squad again. Eddie Bosman joined from sc Heerenveen. My fellow Englishman Paul Mason came over from England to Groningen. Jos Roossien established himself as a strong first-team regular and, if I remember rightly, was even player of the year that season.
The most eye-catching signing was Johan Neeskens. He had played for Ajax and FC Barcelona, appeared in two World Cup finals with the Netherlands and performed at the very highest international level. His arrival created a real buzz around the club. For us, it was special suddenly to have someone with that sort of career as a teammate.
What you can learn from an experienced player
Johan had plenty to share about his career and life off the pitch. He had experienced wonderful things, but he had also been through difficult times. People usually see the matches, the trophies and the highlights. The pressure, uncertainty, disappointments and personal sacrifices behind a career like that are more often hidden from view.
So learning from an experienced player is not just about watching his technique or reading of the game. You listen to his stories and see how he handles success, expectations and setbacks. Some lessons come not on the training ground, but in the dressing room, on the team coach or around the table.
A team needs different types of players. Young players bring energy, ambition and a fearless approach. Experienced players bring knowledge, calmness and an understanding of situations they have faced before. When those worlds genuinely come together, both generations benefit.
A special win in Amsterdam
The away match against Ajax was special for Johan. Ajax was his old club, the place where he had enjoyed great success.
On 21 April 1985, we won 3–1 in Amsterdam. It was the first time FC Groningen had beaten Ajax away. I scored twice and Erwin Koeman got our other goal. You can still watch that historic match today.
Johan was absolutely delighted afterwards. I still clearly remember his joy on the team coach. You could see how much that win meant to him. It showed that football is never just about tactics, fitness or technique. Behind every player is a person, with memories, pride and emotions.
Unfortunately, Johan could not reproduce the level he had reached in that match and left again fairly soon afterwards. But his short stay still mattered. Not every working relationship lasts for years. Sometimes, in a short space of time, someone leaves you with something you carry long afterwards.
Why I invested more in my body
We had a good season as a team, but narrowly missed out on European football again. Personally, things went better than in the previous two seasons, mainly because I had fewer injuries and became physically stronger.
My left knee remained vulnerable. Rather than focusing only on that knee, I decided to strengthen my whole body. Twice a week, I drove to Leeuwarden to train with Dick Lamsma, who had been a physiotherapist at Cambuur for many years. We did strength training for my legs and upper body.
That was less commonplace then than it might sound now. These days, players often have strength coaches, sports scientists, data and individual programmes at their disposal. We had to work out and organise much more for ourselves.
Nobody could guarantee that those drives and training sessions would lead to more goals, better performances or a transfer. I did it because I felt my body needed to become stronger if I was going to keep developing.
Your body is part of your talent
Players often talk about talent as though it is only about what you can do with a ball. But talent only really comes into its own when your body allows you to use it.
You can be technically gifted and understand the game well. But if you are constantly injured or lack strength, you cannot show what you are truly capable of.
The extra training began to make a difference. I became stronger in challenges, could use my body better and maintained my level for longer. My confidence grew as a result. When you feel your body getting stronger, you move more freely and go into challenges with greater conviction.
A player can never control everything. You cannot always determine a manager’s choices, a referee’s decision, a club’s interest or whether an injury happens. But you can influence your preparation, recovery, discipline, lifestyle and willingness to put in extra work.
Progress begins to show
The combination of fewer injuries, extra strength training and growing confidence helped me find good form. I scored seventeen goals. In my first season at FC Groningen, I had scored thirteen, and in my second, fifteen. My progress gradually became visible: thirteen, fifteen and then seventeen goals.
Goals are the visible result. Beneath them lies a process of training, recovering, dealing with disappointments and making disciplined choices. People see the ball in the net, but not always the drives to Leeuwarden and the hours it took to become stronger.
Progress is not always visible straight away. Sometimes you work for months without knowing exactly what it will bring. The opportunity that comes later is often made possible by work you did earlier.
Interest from PSV
My performances caught PSV’s attention. Hans Kraay senior and PSV chairman Harry van Raaij came to speak to me at the Familiehotel in Paterswolde. That was an important moment. PSV was a big club with ambitious plans.
I heard which players would be coming to Eindhoven. Names such as Ruud Gullit, Frank Arnesen and Eric Gerets made it clear where PSV wanted to go. They were building a team to compete for trophies. We soon reached an agreement.
The move also felt like vindication of my earlier decision to stay in the Netherlands and see how far I could go here. Via Wageningen, Willem II and FC Groningen, that path eventually took me to PSV. When I chose the Netherlands, I did not know where the journey would end. I had no guarantee that a club like PSV would ever show an interest. I only knew that I wanted to keep developing and was willing to make the choices that required.
What young players can learn from this
My career is not a route every young player should follow exactly. Football has changed, and everyone has a different personality, background and path of development. But the principles behind growth change less quickly.
Adapted and incorporated into the blog:
- Do not wait for someone else to organise everything for you. Look honestly at what you need and what you are prepared to do about it. Perhaps you need to become physically stronger, or perhaps your main area for improvement is technique, tactics, recovery, nutrition, mental support or discipline.
- Recognise that the transfer, starting place or contract only comes at the end of a long process. People talk less about the work that comes beforehand, yet that is often where the difference is made.
- Surround yourself with people you can learn from: coaches, physiotherapists, experienced players, family members or other experts. Seek out people who help you look at yourself honestly, too.
- Do not underestimate what a teammate can pass on to you. Johan Neeskens was only at FC Groningen briefly, but his presence and experience made an impression. Sometimes one conversation, example or moment is enough to change your outlook.
Your next step starts today
To the outside world, the transfer to PSV might have seemed like the big moment. For me, that step began much earlier: on the drives to Leeuwarden, during the strength sessions and at the moment I took responsibility for my injury-prone body.
Your next opportunity often starts taking shape before anyone else can see it. That is why my question to young players is not simply: what do you want to achieve?
The more important question is: what are you doing today to be ready when your chance comes?
The Next Goal™ is not just about what you achieve, but about who you become along the way.
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