Van de Beek: “What am I doing here?”

Donny van de Beek has found joy again in football since he arrived in Girona. After a disappointing time at Manchester United and a complicated phase in Eintracht Frankfurt, The Dutch midfielder feels he has regained his essence. This was revealed in an interview with Voetbal International.

In 2019, Van de Beek lived in one of the highest moments of his career. He shone with Ajax, a team that shocked the world by reaching the semifinals of the Champions League. Although there was a bitter taste of not reaching the final against Liverpool, he was a pillar of a golden generation.

In stars like Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt moved to big European clubs, himself Van de Beek attracted interest of giants like Real Madrid. Finally, in September 2020, he joined Manchester United for €44 million, following in his teammate’s footsteps Hakim Ziyech who ended up at Chelsea.

However, his stay in England turned out to be a mistake. Under the command of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and later Erik ten Haghis playing time is limited. He tried to get his career back on track with a loan at Everton and then another at Eintracht Frankfurt, but none of them worked out as he had hoped.

The player himself explained how complicated that moment was. “My time at Manchester United is over, so this year I want minutes elsewhere. I chose Germany because it seemed like a good option and Eintracht “It’s a wonderful club, but I felt lost,” he said.

The lack of continuity affected him deeply, something he recognized himself. “With those months in debt, you have to impress on day one, but I couldn’t. “I needed a rhythm and a consistent game, but that never came,” he explained.

In his story, Van de Beek admits the pressure has affected him. “I tried to show everything in one game, I pushed myself too much, and I ended up playing below my level,” he confessed.

Furthermore, his personal situation didn’t help either, and he shared it that way. “I am alone in Frankfurt, while my family is in England. “I asked myself: What am I doing here?” Estelle Bergkamp, pregnant, and her daughter is far away.

The emotional bond with Ajax, his training club, didn’t help him at the time either, he said. “It hurts me to see them in free fall this season. I always followed them and it was very difficult to assimilate,” he said, pointing out that there is no concrete way to return.

Everything changed when he arrived in Girona. About his new phase, Van de Beek is enthusiastic: “I enjoyed football again. “The feeling of joy, of joy, is something I’ve missed for a long time,” he said.

Finally, the Dutchman emphasized how valuable his time at the Catalan club has been. “I think I’ve played more minutes this season than the last four years combined. That says it all. Confidence returned, and I felt the fire inside me rekindle. “I finally feel like a footballer again”he concluded.