James Rowe recently spoke to Dutch defender Vito Wormgoor. They spoke about his time at Dutch clubs De Graafschaap and ADO Den Haag as well as his current club SK Brann in Norway where he is club captain.
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Below is a transcript of the interview:
JR: ”You signed for Norwegian team SK Brann in 2017. Are you enjoying your football in Norway and how are the preparations going for the pre-season? ”
VW: ”Pre-season is going very well. We are intent on playing football out from the back which is positive. We have better squad this season and new players have arrived too that fit well with the type of football we like to play. I believe that we can go for the medal places in Norway this season. Here in Norway you get a medal for finishing in the top 3 gold, silver or bronze as well as potential European qualification. ”
JR: ”What can you tell me about your current manager Lars Arne Nilsen? ”
VW: ”In my opinion Lars Arne Nilsen is a great manager. He tries to create a base upon which the team will play and I am captain of the team and he and the players listen to me. Sometimes we disagree as captain and manager but we discuss things together. When the team plays well we all benefit. He has his vision but he is also open to observations from his players and that is important. I also believe that Lars Arne Nilsen is a real people manager? ”
JR: ”You played for De Graafschap for 3 seasons (2009 – 2012 ) How do you look back on your time at the club? ”
VW: ”I still follow De Graafschap and they are a great club. When I first arrived at the club on loan from FC Utrecht they were playing in the 1st division and we became champions. I played well and I was able to concentrate on my football. To my amazement my contract at FC Utrecht was not extended which I thought was a shame but then De Graafschap wanted me and I have fond memories of my time there I met a lot of great people and it was a very positive period of my career which lead to my eventual transfer to ADO Den Haag. I remember at the time I gave an interview to Voetbal International when I had just signed a 5 year contract extension with a clause that I could leave for free should the club ever be relegated. Shortly after that they club got relegated and I was blamed by people in some quarters that for inserting that clause. I also stated that if De Graafschap were a stable mid table team then I would have been have to stay at the club for 10 years for example. De Graafshap has great supporters who create a great atmosphere and everything is in place to become a cult club and also go on in the future to become a stable Eredivisie club. ”
JR: ”You went on to play for ADO Den Haag for 4 seasons (2012 – 2016). How do you look back on your time at the club?”
VW: ”I really enjoyed playing for ADO Den Haag who I believe to be a real cult club in the Netherlands. I believe that ADO Den Haag has all the facets to become one of the top 6 clubs in the country if you look at the city The Hague it’s only behind Amsterdam and Rotterdam in terms of it’s size. I can only be positive about my time at ADO Den Haag. After 4 years I was looking for a new challenge and at that time I had been playing as a professional for 7 years in the Netherlands and I felt the need to look at opportunities abroad. ”
JR: ”You mentioned looking for a new challenge abroad. Was it a conscious decision to move to Norway? ”
VW: ”No it was not a conscious decision to move to Norway. During my last 6 months at ADO Den Haag I came very close to signing for MLS team Chicago Fire and during the same period there was also interest from other MLS teams but I felt that if I was to go to the United States that I would be a long way from home and therefore I would not be able to return home to the Netherlands for a weekend if I wanted to. I also had interest from many Turkish clubs but I was not entirely convinced but then I received an offer from Norwegian club Aalesund to go there for 6 months to help that avoid relegation as they were second from bottom at the time. I went there with a lot of positive energy and embraced the opportunity and it was a great environment. The people treated me really well I felt well respected and important. In hindsight it was a great decision to go and play my football in Norway. ”
JR: ”Could you say who is the best player that you have played with so far in your career? ”
VW: ”I played in the youth teams at Ajax where I would train with the first team. I also played in the farewell match of Jaap Stam against Patrick Kluivert and Dennis Bergkamp etc which was great to experience as a young player. I was at Ajax when Luis Suarez was there and it was great to test myself against him during training. ”
JR: ”Who is the most difficult opponent you have faced so far in your career?”
VW: ”I believe that as a defender if you concentrate on just one player before the match starts on the one hand preparation is important but on the other hand it depends what happens during the match. I find myself coaching my teammates during matches to avoid coming into problems. These are the things that you learn to embrace during your career and that helps me even now as captain of SK Brann.”
JR: ”Finally Vito who are the managers that have helped you a lot during your career?”
VW: ”I believe that I have learned something from every manager that I have played under from the youth teams to the current day. Every manager has helped shape me into the player I am today. Henk Fraser, Aaron Winter, Maurice Steijn as well as my current manager Lars Arne Nilsen. All the advice that my managers have given me over the years has stayed with me. ”
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