‘New start’ Van de Beek at Girona, which Blind misses against Feyenoord

NOS Football•yesterday, 3:08 PM

Van de Beek with Girona against Feyenoord: ‘Feels like a new beginning to me’

Donny van de Beek would be lying if he said that the past few years have been easy. At the Spanish Girona, with whom he will play against Feyenoord in the Champions League tomorrow evening at 6.45 p.m., he wants to start his upward trajectory again.

“It’s mainly about me taking physical steps,” Van de Beek said during a press conference today. “Everything else will grow from there.”

Another Dutchman employed by Girona has to take a moment to stand still. Daley Blind has been out for a month with an injury to his calf. The former international of the Dutch national team dropped out against Celta de Vigo this weekend.

So he will miss the match against Feyenoord, but probably also the away match against PSV in the Champions League. That match is scheduled for November 5.

After years of not playing much – he hardly featured at Manchester United – Van de Beek cannot suddenly make ninety minutes three times a week.

Last weekend against Celta de Vigo, Van de Beek replaced an injured teammate after fifteen minutes, after which he suffered a cramp ten minutes before the end. He has made 175 minutes for his new club so far.

Van de Beek broke through at Ajax, reached the Dutch team and made a transfer to Manchester United in 2020. He was unable to join in, partly due to injuries.

Rental periods at Everton and Eintracht Frankfurt also resulted in little playing time and success. This summer, Girona came knocking, the small but successful club where three Dutchmen play: Daley Blind, Arnaut Danjuma and Gabriel Misehouy.

“The contact between the club and my agent had been there for a while,” says Van de Beek. “It is a very Nice club. Warm and with a family feeling. And with a good plan in the field of football.”

Nice for Van de Beek, who is ready for stability after difficult years in football. “I didn’t despair,” he says as his trainer Michel pats him on the shoulder encouragingly. “I have had a lot of support from my family. But I still love the game myself, so I will always continue.”

Van de Beek was in the starting line-up in the first Champions League match, losing 1-0 against Paris Saint-Germain. Tomorrow he has a match against Feyenoord. “It is the club’s first ever home match in the Champions League. That is certainly alive here. For me it feels like a new beginning here, I also feel good mentally. I want to continue the upward trend now.”