TRANSATLANTIC TURNAROUND
Dutch defender Gregory van der Wiel joins Toronto FC after weeks of back and forth and two years of turmoil. The Reds see similarities to recent success stories,
Gregory van der Wiel’s move to Toronto FC marks a fresh start for the Dutchman.
The 29-year-old, signed last week but officially unveiled as the Reds’ new No. 9 on Monday, is ready to get back to winning ways — which began with Ajax in his native Holland, then in France with Paris Saint-Germain.
There was much less success over the last two years, as van der Wiel struggled during stints with Turkey’s Fenerbahce and Italy’s Cagliari.
The defender said he always wanted to play in Major League Soccer eventually. While he didn’t know much about Toronto, he said he liked the attitude and professionalism he associated with sports on this side of the Atlantic, which he called “way different” than in Europe.
“I always say: I think on this side it’s 10 years ahead of Europe. Sounds a bit crazy, since the level’s probably higher over there, but yeah, after two years — my last two years were not the most successful for me and I lost my pleasure for the game,” he said.
In Turkey, van der Wiel said he suffered from stomach pain, but no one with the club addressed it.
There was also a business venture, unrelated to the club, that went wrong. In May of 2017, he reportedly claimed he was swindled out of $4.5 million (U.S.) by a Turkish businessman.
“It was not a smart move. I trusted somebody and at the end I never saw my money back, so that was a bad experience,” he said Monday.
His move to Cagliari, a smaller club than the fullback was used to, was born of a desire to play again. Then came an injury and a coaching change. Before he knew it, van der Wiel said, he had spent 10 straight games on the bench. “To this day, I don’t know why,” he said. “My quality, that was not up for discussion.” So when Toronto FC became an option — general manager Tim Bezbatchenko said the pursuit of van der Wiel began around last Christmas — the right back decided to pursue it.
“Maybe a bit earlier than expected, but that’s how my life went. I’m a bit tired (of being) judged by the way I look, (by what) I do in my private life, by the pictures I post on my Instagram, if I like to post nice pictures. It doesn’t change me as a person. I’ve always been a person who works hard,” said van der Wiel, who has been criticized in the past for offfield decisions such as modelling in his spare time.
North America, he says, is a totally different world.
“The people are so different. You’re treated well, everything is well arranged,” he said. “This is already everything I hoped for, and I need to get my pleasure back in football. And that will come, I have no doubt in that, especially with the great guys here and this great club.”
For coach Greg Vanney, the situation is similar to the scenarios that brought midfielder Victor Vazquez and defender Chris Mavinga to Toronto FC in 2017. Both were unhappy in their careers upon arrival. Today, Vanney said, both have rediscovered their love for the game. He hopes van der Wiel will as well.
“It’s about treating people as people,” Vanney said. “I think we do a pretty good job of that, because this is a club full of very good people who are eager to help one another and eager to support each other. From that, I think you find joy in life and you can find joy on the field.”
Vanney, who expects to have van der Wiel ready for the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League on Feb. 20, spent time in Europe as a player and says sometimes players are frowned upon for being involved with anything outside their club. He said he has no concerns when it comes to van der Wiel’s commitment to the game.
“All of his coaches, everybody that we’ve ever talked to, is: ‘Great kid, good guy, works hard, is a winner.’ ”