Under the watchful eye of mother Sonaida, Sontje Hansen (24) made his debut at the largest football tournament in the world last Sunday in Houston. With the puny Curaçao, the player from the English Middlesbrough suddenly found himself facing German world stars such as Neuer, Sané, Wirtz and Havertz.
The 7-1 defeat, and his substitution halfway through the match, can hardly spoil the mood of everyone and everything from Curaçao. Attending the tournament is almost equivalent to winning the world title. “I am so proud of those boys,” says Sonaida from the United States.
‘Not normal for a 4 year old’
Back to 20 years ago. Rob van Drimmelen can still see him standing along the line at HSV Sport in Hoorn. Little Son, with his thumb in his mouth. Looking at his older brother Ricky and his football friends. Actually, he is still too young to participate, but hey… an exception is made for the then 4-year-old.
Sontje cannot be kept. His talent is immediately unmistakable. “That was evident. How he shot, how he already gave crosses. That was not normal for someone of 4 years old,” says Van Drimmelen, youth coordinator at HSV Sport at the time.