On a rainy afternoon in Uitgeest, Joey Veerman made his first playing minutes for FC Volendam at the age of 17. It is the summer of 2016 and trainer Robert Molenaar gives the talent from the A-juniors a starting place in the exhibition match against AZ. FC Volendam loses 8-1 without a chance, but in front of NH Sport’s camera, the confident midfielder already says he wants to make his competition debut as soon as possible. “I’ve been looking forward to this all my life.”
Molenaar is still holding back at that moment. “No, he is not ready yet”, the trainer answers when asked whether Veerman will soon make his professional debut. But barely two months after that first appearance in the first of FC Volendam, Veerman is already making his professional debut in the away match against VVV-Venlo (0-1). Not to disappear from the base afterwards.
Sixth international
The transfer to sc Heerenveen will follow in the summer of 2019 and after a season and a half at PSV, he has now played eighty games in all competitions. Veerman is the sixth Volendammer to make it to the Dutch national team. Gerrie and Arnold Mühren, Pier Tol, Keje Molenaar and Wim Jonk preceded him.