Jens Mathijsen won a base place for the first time as player of Willem II on Sunday afternoon against Ajax. The 17-year-old defender gained confidence from trainer Peter Maes as a right back. For the basic debut, the club first called with its parents. “If his father and mother did not see this match in a position that was unusual for him, I would not have drafted Jens,” says trainer Peter Maes.
Calling the parents, former professional footballer Joris Mathijsen and his wife, was very important for Willem II. Maes: “There were several options for the right back position, but all pluses were in favor of Jens. I was convinced that he was mentally ready for it, but we wanted to know for his peace of mind whether his father and mother were also behind it. His parents immediately indicated one hundred percent behind the decision.”
Sporty dream come true
A sporty dream came true for Jens. That dream started at a young age when the central defender made the switch from amateur club Voab from Goirle to the youth academy of Willem II.
The start of his football career is the same as that of his father Joris, who played 84 times for the Dutch national team and, among other things, wore the shirt of Feyenoord. “It is nice if we are compared, although everyone is different as a player. He was a left leg in the center, I am right -legged. The tips that my father gives me are great. He has so much experience, I can learn a lot from him. For example, he said for this competition that I had to pay attention to it to be on my front feet.”
More nervous than normal
Three times he had a few minutes of playing minutes as a substitute this season, but his first base spot gave a different feeling. “The first time in the base in such a large stadium, of course I was a bit more nervous than normal. Yet I prepared as I always do at competitions. I tried to do my thing and the first half I played pretty well. Too bad I soon got a yellow card, then you can’t really do anything anymore. And it is a shame that we gave away our lead.”
“A cool frog who knows what he’s doing.”
Maes found Mathijsen a good game to play and predicts a big future for the Brabander. “He is 17 years old, but he seems much more mature. It is a cool frog who knows what he is doing. Beforehand I told him that this game really does not determine the rest of his career. I am convinced that Jens will conquer a base place, that will not take long.”
