Now+ Van Pearls at Amateurs to Son Koeman: The Promotion Heroes of Telstar

From Pearls to Amateurs to Son Koeman: The Promotion Heroes of Telstar

Telstar completed a fairy tale on Sunday by promoting to the Eredivisie. Who are the promotion heroes of the small club from Velsen-Zuid? A brief introduction.

Ronald Koeman junior

As the son of national coach Ronald Koeman, he is the best-known name in the selection, but he is not nearly as good as a goalkeeper as his father was as a defender. Koeman junior has been keeping in the basement of Dutch professional football for years. First at TOP Oss and since the summer of 2021 for Telstar.

Cv Ronald Koeman junior

Position: goalkeeper
Age: 30 years old
At Telstar since: 2021
Contract until: 2026
Previous clubs: TOP Oss (2015-2021) and Almere City (2014-2015)

Mitch Apau

With his chip stand at the Telstar stadium, his story was the most frequently mentioned around the promotion matches of the club from Velsen-Zuid. Sunday followed a new chapter: fifteen hours before the crucial duel with Willem II, the 35-year-old captain of Telstar became a father. Apau was actually going to play for the top amateurs of SV Spakenburg next season, but he may still be able to avoid that.

Cv Mitch Apau

Position: defender
Age: 35 years old
At Telstar since: 2022
Contract until: 2025
Previous clubs: SC Veendam (2009-2013), RKC (2013-2014), KVC Westerlo (2014-2017, Bel), NK Olimpija (2017-2018, Slo), Slovan Bratislava (2018-2020, Slo), Patro Eisden (2021, Bel), FC Emmen (2021-2022)

Devon Koswal

After a year in Excelsior’s youth, professional football seemed out of sight for him, but FC Dordrecht offered him a new chance. He was not considered good enough there either. At Telstar, Koswal was given another chance in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie and he seized it with both hands.

Cv Devon Koswal

Position: defender
Age: 21 years old
At Telstar since: 2023
Contract until: 2026
Previous clubs: FC Dordrecht (2021-2023)

Danny Bakker

One of the few players with Eredivisie experience in trainer Anthony Correia’s selection. As a former ADO Den Haag player, he knows what it’s like to fight against relegation at the highest level. Telstar picked him up for free in the fall of 2023 after he had to leave NAC Breda.

Cv Danny Bakker

Position: defender
Age: 30 years old
At Telstar since: 2023
Contract until: 2026
Previous clubs: ADO Den Haag (2013-2021), Roda JC (2020-2021, loan), NAC Breda (2021-2023)

Tyrese Noslin

Things can go crazy in football, and he knows all about it by now. Last season, Noslin played for the reserves of Almere City in the Second Division. Apparently, the right wing defender was not good enough for the first team, because he switched to Telstar. Noslin can now thumb his nose at Almere. Telstar will play in the Eredivisie next season and Almere City in the Keuken Kampioen Divisie.

Cv Tyrese Noslin

Position: defender
Age: 22 years old
At Telstar since: 2024
Contract until: 2026
Previous clubs: Jong Almere City (2020-2024)

Jeff Hardeveld

He also has the necessary Eredivisie duels on the counter, as a former player of FC Utrecht, Heracles Almelo and FC Emmen. The move to Telstar last summer therefore also raised some eyebrows, but after three serious cruciate ligament injuries, the clubs were not queuing en masse for the left wing defender. Hardeveld is the partner of referee Shona Shukrula.

Cv Jeff Hardeveld

Position: defender
Age: 30 years old
At Telstar since: 2024
Contract until: 2027
Previous clubs: FC Utrecht (2015-2017), Heracles Almelo (2017-2021), FC Emmen (2021-2024)

Guus Offerhaus

His professional dream seemed to come to an end when he had to leave FC Emmen in 2022, but via amateur football, Offerhaus still worked his way up to professional football. Last season he was still a permanent fixture at Quick Boys, where Telstar picks up ambitious amateur players with love.

Cv Guus Offerhaus

Position: midfielder
Age: 24 years old
At Telstar since: 2024
Contract until: 2026
Previous clubs: Koninklijke HFC (2022-2023), Quick Boys (2023-2024)

Tyrone Owusu

Another player from the top of amateur football. Just like his teammate Offerhaus, the stocky midfielder was picked up at Quick Boys last summer. Telstar is also Owusu’s first professional club.

Cv Tyrone Owusu

Position: midfielder
Age: 26 years old
At Telstar since: 2024
Contract until: 2026
Previous clubs: Westlandia (2019-2020), SVV Scheveningen (2020-2022), Quick Boys (2022-2024)

Nils Rossen

For years he was one of the greatest talents of NEC, but a breakthrough in Nijmegen never happened. He only played four games for the Eredivisie club. Last summer it was time for the midfielder to spread his wings. At Telstar, where he started as a trial player, he became a permanent fixture. He gave eight assists this season.

Cv Nils Rossen

Position: midfielder
Age: 20 years old
At Telstar since: 2024
Contract until: 2026
Previous clubs: NEC (2022-2024)

Mees Kaandorp

Will forever be in Telstar’s history books with his two goals in the decisive match against Willem II. Comes from AZ’s praised youth academy, but failed to gain a foothold in Alkmaar. Via Almere City and De Graafschap, Kaandorp ended up in Velsen-Zuid two years ago, where he is one of the better players.

Cv Mees Kaandorp

Position: forward
Age: 26 years old
At Telstar since: 2023
Contract until: 2025
Previous clubs: Jong AZ (2017-2019), Almere City (2019-2021), De Graafschap (2021-2023)

Youssef El Kachati

The man who made Telstar dream of the Eredivisie. After an unsuccessful adventure at Sparta Rotterdam, the striker worked his way up to professional football via the top amateurs of VV Noordwijk and Quick Boys. In recent weeks he has been scoring one goal after another for Telstar. He may cash in on his top form with a transfer. NEC and Hannover 96, among others, are interested.

Cv Youssef El Kachati

Position: forward
Age: 25 years old
At Telstar since: 2023
Contract until: 2025
Previous clubs: Jong Sparta Rotterdam (2018-2020), VV Noordwijk (2020-2021), Westerlo (2021-2022), Quick Boys (2022-2023)

Trainer: Anthony Correia

The writer of the Telstar fairy tale, but even before the promotion he was already a club legend in Velsen-Zuid. Correia played his entire career as a professional footballer for Telstar, from 2001 to 2016. After that he became a trainer. First with the top amateurs, including VV Katwijk, with which he won the title in the Second Division twice. He combined that with the role of assistant coach at Telstar. He has been ultimately responsible in Velsen-Zuid since last summer.

Cv Anthony Correia

Age: 43 years old
Head coach at Telstar since: 2024
Contract until: 2027
Previous clubs as trainer: VVH Velserbroek (2014-2016), VV IJmuiden (2016-2019), ODIN’59 (2019-2020), VV Katwijk (2020-2024)

Honorable mention: Zakaria Eddahchouri

He is no longer a member of the Telstar selection, but this overview is not complete without his name. In the first half of the season, Eddahchouri was the big man at coach Correia’s team with seventeen goals, earning him a dream transfer to Deportivo de La Coruña, which nowadays has an anonymous existence at the second level of Spain.

Scroll to Top