Yassine Zakir prefers to play football on the street every day, but now as a Telstar player that is not convenient. At the beginning of this season I made a portrait of the 24-year-old right back and now during the winter break I visit him again and look back with him on his first months in professional football. “I believe in myself, but I am amazed at how quickly everything has gone.”
In a panna cage in the Amsterdam district of Geuzenveld, Yassine Zakir shows that she is very agile on the square meter with the ball. In between playing football, Zakir enthusiastically talks about his highlights of the first half of the season. “My debut against FC Emmen with an assist on Glynor Plet and that Louis van Gaal was our trainer.”
Text continues below the video.
Portrait of Yassine Zakir – NH Nieuws
Compliment
“During the first training, Louis van Gaal told me that I was Telstar’s best player,” Zakir continues his story about the national coach. Van Gaal took the White Lions under his wing for one week in September. “That’s a nice compliment that I put my pocket and take with me for the rest of my career.”
“A lot of people thought I was crazy”
Plumber
A year ago Zakir played for indoor football club White Stones from Egmond aan Zee. And until recently he earned his money as a plumber. Now he is a full-time professional in Velsen-Zuid and his life looks very different. “Many people thought I was crazy that I still dreamed of a life as a professional football player, but I didn’t really care. This is a boy’s dream come true.”
Text continues below the video.
Goals of Yassine Zakir as White Stones futsal player – NH Nieuws
An akka in the air or a triple pair of scissors. Zakir demonstrates in the panna cage that he has mastered it all. As if the ball is glued to his feet. For years he spent many hours on the squares in Amsterdam-West. This is where Zakir developed his skills and as a Telstar player he benefits from this every day.
On paper he is right back, but the ball virtuoso often outplays his opponents and regularly steams over the right side. “I feel I’m getting stronger and this is just the beginning.” Zakir played nineteen official games in the first half of the season and scored once: against Spakenburg for the cup.
Text continues below the photo.
PSV
Telstar will resume the season in a week and a half. Andries Jonker’s team is not in good shape with seventeenth place, but the ambitious Zakir is beaming from ear to ear when it comes to the second half of the season. “I am looking forward to the cup match against PSV and we can just surprise.” Telstar will face the winter champion of the Eredivisie on 20 January in the eighth final. “I think it’s a nice atmosphere there in the Philips Stadium and we are definitely going to make it difficult for PSV.”
For the competition, Zakir is allowed to show his skills earlier. On Sunday 9 January, Telstar will compete against neighbor FC Volendam in the Vissersderby.
? Don’t want to miss anything from NH Sport?
- like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter
- Listen every Friday between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. and Sunday between 6 pm and 7 pm to the broadcast on NH Radio
- The talk show ‘De Aftrap’ can be seen every Friday at 6.15 pm, 8.15 pm and 10.15 pm
Seen a typo? Let us know at [email protected]