The PSV Foundation, in cooperation with FC Robinstijn, has named a FAN of the Match every PSV home game since 1998. Due to the corona virus, this is not possible during the first half of the 2020-2021 season. A great opportunity to look back with a FAN of the Match from the past. This week: nine-year-old Twan van Liempt.
Kiss
Twan's grandmother, Anja van Baren, speaks about the special day in February of this year. During PSV - Willem II, Twan was FAN of the Match. When Twan was one and a half, he was placed out of home. For his foster grandparents a reason to put their grandson in the spotlight. It was Twan's second time at a football match and the first time at PSV. It made a big impression on him. Together with the referee, he walked onto the field, ball in hands. Anja remembers referee Allard Lindhout telling Twan to kiss the ball, hoping it would bring him luck. PSV - Willem II: 3-0. The first win after the winter break for the club. State signed.
Memories
"The photo speaks volumes. His wish really came true," says Anja. "Dinner at the stadium, a tour, going onto the field with the game ball. That has been so overwhelming for Twan." Twan can't choose what his fondest memory of Feb. 8, 2020 was. Still, it was very special when he saw his name on the scoreboard before the game, at the same time that his name echoed through the stadium speaker. He now wears the uniform Twan received from PSV Foundation every week on the fields of RKSV Nuenen.
Choice made
Grandpa and Grandma van Baren have little to do with football themselves. Twan also doubted for a long time between several sports. After the FAN of the Match experience, he knew for sure: he wanted to play football. Since this season he joined the amateur club from Nuenen. Without any expectations, Anja took her grandson to the club and totally surprised to see that Twan has quite some feeling for the ball. He himself is enjoying his first month at RKSV Nuenen immensely. Are grandpa and grandma also getting into football? "We have known the names of all PSV players since February," he said.
Special
Besides the day being remembered for life, Twan's bedroom is also full of memories. Photos with players, a scarf with signatures and so on. The scrapbook with photos from this day is regularly flipped through together. "He is like a child so happy when we talk about this day," Anja says. She says Twan is getting to an age where boys around him think it is special that he lives with his grandparents. That is not necessarily negative, "but this day made Twan feel special in a positive way," Anja concludes.
There is still a remote FAN of the Match. One of PSV'ers takes a specially made robot onto the field every home game when the team walks onto the field.
Twan with current PSV captain Dumfries, the photo above this article is for illustration purposes