2008: Best players came from afar…

December 29th, 2008 | By: Jan | 2 Comments »

NEC developed Willem II player Frank Demouge

Mounir El Hamdaoui (24) off AZ and Frank Demouge (26) of Willem II were the stars of the first half of the competition. Based on their goalscoring abilities, their teams are doing great! Not that long ago, the trajectory for both players seemed to be down down down…

El Hamdaoui makes his debut in the 2001/02 season for Excelsior Rotterdam. He’s immediately spotted by Tottenham Hotspur scouts who sign him as the next big thing. The Rotterdam born striker can’t impress in London, however and he returns to Holland. Willem II is his new club and he scores three times in his first four games. In a cup match against amateurs, he tears his knee ligaments and needs to recover for over a year. Shortly before the 07/08 season, AZ signs him.

In the season 01/02, NEC presents a new kid from their own youth system. Frank Demouge, born in Nijmegen, steals the hearts of the fans and seems to have a bright future ahead of him. After four seasons, some mysterious knee injury disturbs the fairytale. In his last season at NEC he only plays five games. He’s asked to move elsewhere. Only first division team Eindhoven is interested. A year later he moves to FC Den Bosch which sells him in 2007 to another southern club, Willem II.

The fans of both AZ and Willem II have questionmarks in their eyes. Why would Van Gaal pay 6 mio euros now Alfonso Alves can’t be signed? In Tilburg the fans wonder why they should be happy with a reject from NEC?

Both El Hamdaoui and Demouge spent a year settling into their new club. Now, El Hamdaoui has a 1:1 ratio of goals scored per match, while Demouge was involved in 6 out of every 10 goals scored by Willem II.

The road was long, the rewards are sweet.

Latest news is that FC Barcelona is interested in signing El Hamdaoui this winter break already. AZ technical director Marcel Brands denies that there was any contact, however… Demouge name has already been mentioned with regards to Oranje, with Huntelaar injured and Koevermans out of form.