Sc Heerenveen has strengthened its squad with Joris van Overeem on Thursday. The midfielder arrives on a free transfer from Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv, returning to the Eredivisie.
Van Overeem’s contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv expired after three years, allowing him to search for a new club. The 31-year-old, born in Amsterdam, has signed a two-year contract with sc Heerenveen.
For Van Overeem, this will be his fourth club in the Eredivisie. The midfielder broke through at AZ in the early 2010s, where he was active until 2018. During that time, he also played on loan for FC Dordrecht. He then spent four years under contract with FC Utrecht.
“Joris is a player who brings a lot of experience,” says technical manager Johan Hansma of sc Heerenveen. “He is an all-round midfielder who reads the game well and, with his experience, can be valuable for the development of our talents.”
For Heerenveen, Van Overeem is already the fifth new player. Previously, Maxence Rivera (USL Dunkerque), Dylan Vente (Hibernian FC), Maas Willemsen (De Graafschap), and Vasilios Zagaritis (Almere City) arrived in Friesland.
Ion Nicolaescu is going the opposite way of Van Overeem. The 26-year-old striker was sold to Maccabi Tel Aviv on Wednesday. Nicolaescu played for sc Heerenveen for two years but failed to make a significant impact.