An internship with Liverpool, several times playing for youth teams of the Dutch national team. These are just a few examples from the still young career of Rick Jonkers. The fifteen-year-old goalkeeper came over from De Graafschap at the beginning of the season. An introduction to The Beast.
When Jonkers walks into the canteen at De Herdgang, you can't ignore him. With his 1 meter 90 he stands head and shoulders above his peers. His nickname The Beast is therefore not out of place. "It's not in the family. I'm the tallest of them all," Jonkers begins. "Of course, that height does come in handy as a goalkeeper. I'm a goalkeeper who likes to goal on the line. Football-wise I may not be the strongest, but I coach the boys because I have an excellent view of them from behind." A strong quality of Jonkers is reflexes and one-on-one situations according to trainers and coaches at PSV.
Great example
Jonkers is not the first player to come to PSV from De Graafschap. In the past Klaas-Jan Hunterlaar, Steven Theunissen and Milan Beumer followed the same path. De Graafschap goalkeeper Hidde Jurjus also went through the youth training of De Superboeren. He is under contract with PSV, but is rented out to De Graafschap. And let Jurjus be Jonkers' great example. "In the past he trained me and I learned an awful lot of things from him. I always love to see his kicks. He also sent me an app when I went to PSV to wish me luck."
Started as a defender
But before the goalkeeper from Rheden played as a goalkeeper, he was first at another position. "When I was still playing in youth at my amateur club, our team's goalkeeper was sick. I indicated that I would like to put on the gloves one day. So I continued as a goalkeeper. In the beginning I alternated with the goalkeeper who was sick," Jonkers says almost apologetically.
Training camp at Melwood
From the amateurs, Jonkers moved on to De Graafschap. A nice step for him. In Doetinchem, he played against several other Dutch clubs including Feyenoord. "Yes, that match against Feyenoord," Jonkers says while a big smile emerges on his face. "That was a special match. Scouts had come over from Liverpool to watch me. I played a good match. Of course you are a little bit nervous, but I don't get impressed that easily. You just have to win and then I don't care who comes to watch."
Eventually Jonkers was invited to come and train with him at Liverpool FC's legendary Melwood training complex. "When you're there you don't quite realize it yet, but now we still talk about it at the kitchen table with the family. That complex is really magnificent. I really like normal grass myself and in Liverpool the fields looked like a billiard cloth so beautiful it was. English football is also a lot more physical. When you get a tap you just have to keep going. That mentality does appeal to me."
During the days in Liverpool, he trained with one of the English top club's youth teams. "You first have breakfast with everyone and then you go to the training field. We as goalkeepers got an hour of goalkeeper training and then you go and finish half an hour in game form." After he had been on training, he was allowed to return to the club for a second training period.
'I don't want to do that to my family '
"At the first internship, I had gone to England with my father. After that internship I was invited to visit again and then my mother and sister were also allowed to come along. We thought that was very cool, of course. When that internship was also finished, we had an interview. In it she already made it clear that you are only allowed in a host family in England from the age of sixteen." So for Jonkers it would mean that his whole family would have to emigrate to the other side of the North Sea. Jonkers himself did not see that as a good idea. "I have a close family and I don't want to involve them with that. When I was old enough, I might have done it. But now that the family also had to go with me, I didn't do it," Jonkers explains his choice.
Similar clubs
But there was no shortage of interest. In the end, Jonkers ended up at PSV. For the young goalkeeper, it was not a difficult choice whether to leave De Graafschap for PSV. "For my feeling, PSV was an extension of De Graafschap. It gives me a warm feeling. It's all very cozy, but you do go to extremes. That's something I find very important at a club."
Still, the tall goalkeeper came to Eindhoven with no particular expectations. "I always assume I won't play, because then things can only turn out better," Jonkers replied when asked what his expectations were for this season. "As soon as I start giving everything, the trainers see that. If they like it, then they draft me. If they're not convinced, then I'm not in it." At the beginning of the season, he didn't play that much. "The coach of PSV O15 thought it was unfair that I wasn't playing, so I was allowed to goalkeep matches with that team. That's how I made my minutes and whether that's with O15 or O16, it doesn't matter to me. As long as I can play." Later this season, that also paid off as Jonkers has since played many games for the O16. Unfortunately, he currently has to watch from the stands. A shoulder injury is keeping him out of the lines.