Why I chose three seasons at FC Groningen in 1982 over ‘quick money abroad’
A lot changed after my season at Willem II. I’d had a strong year, scored plenty of goals and noticed that people suddenly saw me differently. There was interest not just from the Netherlands, but from abroad too.
For a young player, that’s attractive. A different league, international attention, more exposure and often better pay as well. Yet I knew money couldn’t be my main guide.
My plan was clear: I wanted to keep developing, make the most of my talent and play in a system that suited me. Dutch football, with its 4-3-3 system, made sense to me. As a centre-forward, I had space, service from wide areas and clear patterns of play that allowed me to use my strengths.
That’s why I didn’t automatically go for the quickest financial gain. I wanted to know: will this make me a better player?
Interest from abroad, but my plan still came first
As a young professional footballer, it’s easy to be impressed by interest from abroad. It gives you recognition. It confirms that you’re doing well.
But recognition isn’t the same as direction.
I didn’t want to make a move just because a club sounded bigger or the salary was more attractive. Of course money matters. A professional career is short, and you have to be sensible about the business side too. But money shouldn’t be the only reason for your choice.
For me, it was about putting personal development before money.
I wanted to become a better striker. I wanted to test myself in an environment where I could grow. So I looked beyond the contract and focused above all on the footballing fit.
Why FC Groningen appealed to me
When FC Groningen showed an interest, I was immediately interested too.
Not just because they were an Eredivisie club, but because I’d already experienced what sort of club they were as an opponent. Away games against Groningen were never ordinary. There was atmosphere. There was noise. There was energy.
The crowd lived every moment and lifted the team.
Some people underestimate the influence of supporters. But as a player, you really do feel it. A passionate, loyal and noisy following can make a team stronger. Players feel supported. Opponents feel that pressure too.
It never intimidated me. I’d always had a winning mentality. If someone challenged me, I stepped things up. But I could certainly imagine how good it would be to play for a crowd like that rather than against them.
FC Groningen had something about them. The atmosphere, the attacking football and the supporters’ commitment impressed me. So I decided to have serious talks with the club.
The meeting at Schiphol
We arranged to meet at Schiphol. That worked well, as I was flying to Hull to visit my mother and have a holiday.
The conversation started positively. Head coach Theo Verlangen was clear about what he wanted. He saw a role for me up front, replacing club legend Peter Houtman.
That gave me confidence.
I understood what he wanted. I felt my strengths suited his ideas. To me, that mattered more than fine words. A player needs to know what he’s coming into, how the coach wants to play and what his role will be.
From a footballing point of view, it all fitted.
But then we came to the financial side.
Chairman Renze de Vries made an offer below what I was earning at Willem II. That was difficult. I was happy to prioritise development, but that couldn’t mean taking a step backwards financially. As a player, you have to know your worth too.
There’s an important lesson in that: putting personal development before money doesn’t mean you have to accept anything.
You can choose to grow while still being realistic about your worth.
Being clear in negotiations
At the time, I had help from my good friend Willem Straatman, whom I knew from my days at FC Wageningen. That was necessary because Renze de Vries didn’t speak English. Willem helped me get my position across clearly.
At one point, I told Willem roughly what I wanted to earn. I made it clear: if that wasn’t possible, I would walk away.
That wasn’t a threat. It was clarity.
And that clarity worked. FC Groningen proved willing to negotiate more realistically. Eventually, we reached an agreement. I could sign my contract and then fly on to England.
That’s how FC Groningen became my next step. I signed a three-year contract covering 1982–1985.
Personal development calls for a clear inner compass
Looking back, I can see how much that choice says about development in football.
Lots of young players want to move forward. That’s understandable. But moving forward doesn’t always mean going to the biggest club, taking the highest salary or joining the most high-profile league.
Sometimes the best move is to the club where you can learn the most.
For me, FC Groningen was that club.
I didn’t turn down a move abroad because I was afraid. I chose Groningen because it fitted my development plan better. That distinction matters.
You don’t build a good career on talent alone. You build it through your choices.
You have to be brave enough to say:
• This suits me.
• This doesn’t suit me.
• I can grow here.
• I might be paid better here, but I won’t become a better player.
• I need to negotiate here, because my worth matters.
Many people only see the matches, goals and transfers. But the most important decisions are often made behind the scenes. You need an inner compass to keep you on course. You have to keep your ultimate goal in mind. For me, that meant developing as much as I could, getting the very best out of myself and reaching the top that way.
The FC Groningen squad
Of course, this reads more smoothly:
The Dutch 4-3-3 system suited me well. I came to FC Groningen as Peter Houtman’s replacement and, as a centre-forward, got exactly what I needed: space, service from wide areas and clear patterns of play that allowed me to use my strengths.
When I joined in 1982, I also quickly realised just how much quality there was in the squad. With players like Ronald Koeman, Erwin Koeman, Ron Jans and Steve Goble, you could immediately tell this team could play. They were a lovely, talented group with technique, intelligence, character and ambition.
As a striker, you always depend on those around you. You can work hard, make clever runs and be sharp in front of goal, but you also need players who understand you and find you at the right moment.
At FC Groningen, I felt those foundations were in place.
Theo Verlangen played a part in that too. He was a driven coach, kept a close eye on the squad and demanded a lot from his players. In the end, we qualified for Europe after beating FC Twente in the very last game of the season.
That was special.
The supporters turned out in large numbers, home and away. Their commitment gave us energy. You could feel how much the club meant to people.
Ajax – FC Groningen 5-5
One match that has stayed with many supporters is the away game against Ajax. It finished 5-5.
A crazy match. So many goals, so many moments, so much emotion.
In that game, I went past none other than Johan Cruijff (photo above) and scored a goal.
But one of the best goals I’ve ever seen was the one Ron Jans scored. It’s still etched in many supporters’ memories. Probably one of the greatest goals of all time. Moments like these show why football is more than a result. They leave images, feelings and memories that stay with you. That match also showed something of the team we had. There was bravery. Attacking intent. A desire to play football. And that suited me.
What young players can learn from this
As a coach and mentor, I now look at moments like these differently from when I was a player.
Back then, I was in the middle of my career. I was making decisions, feeling pressure, negotiating, playing matches and trying to perform. Now, what stands out most is how important it is for young players to learn to think about their own development.
Not every opportunity is the right opportunity.
Not every transfer is a step forward.
A higher salary doesn’t automatically mean a better move.
Young players need to learn to look at the bigger picture:
• What environment are you joining?
• Who is the coach?
• What system do they play?
• Will you genuinely get the chance to grow?
• Does the club’s culture suit you?
• Will they simply use you, or develop you too?
Football puts a lot of emphasis on talent, but talent without direction can lose its way. Especially when interest comes from elsewhere.
That’s why young players need more than training. They need guidance in how to think, make decisions and handle pressure. Their careers are shaped not just by what they can do with the ball, but also by the decisions they make off the pitch.
A season of pain, recovery and European qualification
There was another side to it too: personally, I can’t call my first season at FC Groningen a complete success.
I had to have a meniscus operation and played with pain in my left knee. That affects you as a striker. You want to move freely, turn sharply, react explosively and attack the goal with real conviction. When your body won’t cooperate, everything feels different.
I scored eleven goals. That might sound decent to some players, but by my own standards it felt like less than I wanted to contribute.
Still, it wasn’t a wasted season.
We qualified for Europe. I played in a strong team. I got to know the club. I felt the power of the crowd. And once again, I came up against something every sportsperson learns: development isn’t always a straight upward line.
Sometimes you make a carefully considered move, and setbacks still come your way.
An injury. Pain. Recovery. Frustration.
That’s part of elite sport too.
The most important lesson
If I had to take one lesson from that period, it would be this:
Don’t automatically choose the quickest reward. Choose the move that makes you better.
That applies to footballers, but really to everyone.
There are moments in life when something looks attractive. More money. More status. More attention. A bigger name. But the question is: does it bring you closer to the person you need to become?
For me, FC Groningen was that kind of choice. Not because everything was perfect. Not because it turned out to be easy. But because it fitted my plan, my development and my way of playing football.
I wanted to make the most of my talent and reach the top. To do that, I sometimes had to say no to temptation and yes to growth.
That’s choosing personal development over quick money.
After that first season, a lot changed again. Theo Verlangen, our lovely coach, left the club. Han Berger replaced him. That meant a new phase, a new coach and having to adapt all over again. My second season at FC Groningen would be a different story.
A moment to reflect
Take a moment to think about your own development: do you choose what looks attractive in the short term, or what makes you stronger in the long term?
FAQs about this article
1: Why did Rob McDonald choose FC Groningen?
Rob McDonald chose FC Groningen because the club suited his personal development as a striker. After his strong season at Willem II, there was interest from abroad too, but his priority was to play in an environment where he could improve. FC Groningen offered him a clear role up front, passionate supporters and an attacking style of football that suited him.
2: What does putting personal development before money mean in football?
Putting personal development before money means a player looks beyond salary or status and focuses above all on the question: will this make me better? For Rob McDonald, it meant choosing a club where he could grow as a footballer, even if the financial side didn’t necessarily make it the most attractive option.
3: In which season did Rob McDonald join FC Groningen?
Rob McDonald joined FC Groningen in the 1982/83 season. He signed a three-year contract covering 1982 to 1985. His first season at the club was special because FC Groningen qualified for Europe and the team had real quality.
4: Which players were in the FC Groningen squad with Rob McDonald in the 1982/83 season?
The FC Groningen squad included Ronald Koeman, Erwin Koeman, Ron Jans and Steve Goble. Rob McDonald describes the group as talented, ambitious and technically strong. That mattered to a striker, because he depended on players who understood him and could provide the service he needed.
5: What can young footballers learn from Rob McDonald’s decision to join FC Groningen?
Young footballers can learn that a bigger club, interest from abroad or a higher salary doesn’t automatically mean the best move. Important questions include: does the coach suit me, will I get playing time, does the system suit my strengths and can I genuinely develop there? A good career is built not just on talent, but on sensible choices too.
6: Why is Ajax – FC Groningen 5-5 such a special match?
Ajax – FC Groningen 5-5 is a match many supporters remember for its goals, emotion and attacking football. Rob McDonald singles out Ron Jans’s goal as a moment that has stayed in supporters’ memories. The match showed that FC Groningen had courage and wanted to play football.
Want more insights like these?
Would you like more insights like these from real experience in elite sport and coaching?
Then watch and listen to the video podcast The Next Goal™, where I explore these lessons in greater depth alongside other professionals who want to share their insights with you. The Next Goal™ with Rob McDonald is about the person behind the footballer. In the podcast, Rob shares lessons from elite sport, coaching, choices, setbacks and personal growth. It’s not just about performances on the pitch, but above all about who you become along the way.