Jill Roord Transferred from English Top Club Manchester City to FC Twente Last Summer. At Her Old Love, she has rediscovered happiness on and off the field. “The Energy is back, I Feel Fresher.”
Roord Celebrated When FC Twente won Against PSV in the Battle for the Supercup Two Week AGO. Yet, the moment afterward in the Grolsch Veste Might Have Been the Highlight, when roord recurred a big hug from her two-year-old niece mave in the catacombs.
“I really missed those Moments Abroad,” Roord Says Towards the Eredivisie Start to NU.nl. “Maeve Has Hardly Seen Any Games of Me. My Family Came When they Could, But That’s Difficult with Work. Then you play in a Sold-Out Stadium, But There’s No One In The Stands For You. I Found That Very Difficult.”
It was Exactly the Reason Why Roord Announced in May That She would trade City for FC Twente. After Eight Years at Foreign Top Clubs Bayern Munich, Arsenal, VFL Wolfsburg, and Manchester City, The Battery was Empty. Roord had Lost the Joy of Football and Her Happiness.
She Kept Her Doubts to Herself for a Long Time. “If I had told my parents, I know they would worry a lot.” But around the Christmas period last year, it was enough, and roord shared her feelings. Father René Roord, Technical Manager of FC Twente, discussed Internally Whether A Return was Possible.
The 28-year-old Roord was Convinced That She would find happiness again at FC Twente. The Oldenzaal Native Debuted In 2013 at the Age of Sixteen for the First Team of the Tukkers and Already Played 105 Matches for Twente Until 2017. The Club from Enschede was Eager to Bring Back the Child of the Club.
The Step to the Netherlands Felt Logical for Roord, But The Football World Reacted Surprized. After all, The International is Exchanging A European Top Club for the Eredivisie at A Fairly Young Age, A Competition That Is Seen As A Stepping Stone for Talent Abroad.
Not only in Terms of Level, but also in Terms of Facilities, Roord is a Big Step Back. City Has a Super Deluxe Training Complex, Including Swimming Pools and Ice Baths, While FC Twente Trains on the Artificial Turf of Amateur Club CVV Sparta in Enschede. Roord Understands The Skepticism But Still stands Behind Her Decision.
“Or Course, it was nice to play in England and in that competition. It’s not that it was all worthless. But I’ve Been Doing that for Almost ten Years, so at the moment I Don’t Miss Anything,” Say’s Roord, for whom the training Sessland starts. “The Energy is back. I Feel Fresher, I’m Looking Forward to Training and Playing Games Again.”
Even the big stadiums can be tasks from her now. Roord Will Play Her First Eredivisie Match on Saturday at Sportpark Skoatterwâld in Heerenveen. In England, She Regularly Played in Arenas Such as the etihad in Manchester and Emirates Stadium in London.
“That’s very different, or course. But I’m very down-to-earth about it. I Enjoy Football again, and then I don’t care Whether I play in a sold-out stage this weekend or not. I can Easily adapt to that.”
‘Don’t want to have a big mouth right away’
It felt like a warm bath when roord reported to sports park Schreurserve for the first time at the beginning of August. “It was very nice to step onto the field again there. I had leg here for a long time, but it felt like old times. The down-to-earth culture and the team Feeling have remained unchanged. That’s very nice.”
Roord came to FC Twente with an impression resume. She not only had a string of European top clubs in her pocket, but she was also active at three world cups and three European Championships. Her International Tally Now stands at 111 matches. The contrast with the rest of the selection is Large. Only the Icelandic Amanda Andradóttir Has Experience as an International.
Now Roord is the Big Name at the Ten-Time National Champion. “Whether players look up to me? That’s weird for me to say about myself. I want them to see me as a normal teammate, and they do by now. I was the new player. That’s always a bit exciting, of course.”
Roord, who has now played three games for Twente, is expected to pass on her experience to the other players. The Experienced Midfielder is a still looking for a “good balance” in that challenge. “I’m new, of course. So I also don’t want to come in with a big mouth and take over the whole thinge thing right away. That’s not me.”
Also Happiness Outside Football: ‘Pien and I Are Homebodies’
Roord also found a new life outside or football. She Lives in Amsterdam With Her Girlfriend Pien Sanders, A Hockey Player for Orange and Den Bosch. “I love at home. Sitting on the couch and drinking coffee and there. Pien and I are the same in that way, we are home bodies.”
The fact that she has to drive about an hour and a half to training Doesn’t bother roord. “Usually we are off two days a week, so it’s not too bad. And I can stay with my parents. Coincidentally, I’m doing that for the first time before the match against Heerenveen. I’m in a good place here. My Happiness Comes first.”
