Did you tell your friends at school that you were starting?



I wanted to but I promised my coach that I would keep it to myself. He said I could tell my Grandma and my agent but I promised I wouldn’t tell anyone else. Plus, it was fun to keep it as a surprise.



What are your standout moments from that debut season?



You know, normally when players play at that age they are nervous but I had the feeling of excitement, that I was on the stage where I wanted to be. I wasn’t nervous at all I just wanted to give it everything I had and take the opportunity. I entered the game with no pressure and just enjoyed the crowd and the game. We actually lost 4-0 but I played a good game! I felt that a gave a good impression of myself.



After Feyenoord you moved to PSV. How proudly do you look back on your time in Eindhoven?



I’m really proud of my time at PSV. I had everything in my time there. I had good moments, bad moments,really good moments and really bad moments. That made me the player that I am. You learn a lot when things are going badly and you have to show character. Every time things were going badly I fought to put it right and it worked out well. In my last season I captained the team to their first league title in seven years, so it ended with a reward.



Is this season a bit of a milestone in your career? That you’re ready to push on and achieve big success with club and country?



To be fair I don’t think like that anymore. I just want to enjoy myself and trust the performances will come with that. I always set myself very high standards and to be important for the team. The pressure I put on myself now is more the pressure to enjoy. When I play with that mindset I play with freedom and play to my potential.



Are you a player that takes bad results home with you?



You know, it’s difficult. You try to leave them at the club but you always take them home with you. Football is your life. You can say you leave it at the club but it’s always with you. People remind you of things. You can try to leave it at the club but then you’ll be at the supermarket and someone will say “hey yesterday was not a good day” or something so it’s hard not to think about it.

What are the biggest differences between a first season at a club and a second season at a club?



At the moment it’s little difficult to say as this is the beginning of my second season. I’ll be able to tell you more at the end of this season, but I think there are a number of factors on your first season. You could arrive for big money so fans expect quick results but on the other hand people say it’s your first season so you need time to adapt and settle in. The second year probably brings a bit more expectation.



Moving away from football, you’ve got some bold outfits. What’s your style when it comes to fashion?



Fashion? I like everything! I can go to a cheap shop and buy things or I can go to an expensive shop and buy things. I don’t really have one particular fashion style. If I like something I’ll wear it, but Gucci is my favourite fashion brand right now.



On the pitch you’re wearing the adidas Nemeziz boots. Do you think they’re good reflection of your style?



Yeah, I’m a player that likes to dribble but I’m an all-round player too. I like to defend and play box-to-box. A lot of technical players are wearing the Nemeziz, like Roberto Firmino and Leo Messi and it works for me. I was wearing the ACE boots last season and then they gave me the Nemeziz to test and I was impressed with the design of the Nemeziz and it felt instantly comfortable.



Shop the adidas Nemeziz collection at prodirectsoccer.com



Photography by Ossi Piispanen for SoccerBible.