‘Going out until 6.00 am, I get the ball, it shoots into my leg in no time, Maaskant angry…’

Tommie van der Leegte was regularly found in the nightlife during his football career. During his last season at NAC Breda, he occasionally made it late, although that did not work out well once.

Van der Leegte had just been to training camp, he says in the Skiete Willy Podcast of Football International. “I was injured before that training camp and there were quite a few steps at NAC,” said the former midfielder. “I think I went out three or four times that week. At one point, Maaskant (the then trainer, ed.) comes in. We were on the bar going wild. And he says: you play, but if you get injured after fifteen minutes, you have a very big problem. I say: coach, will be all right.”

Not much later, however, another night out followed. “That was also nice: the base had played and they were allowed to go out. And I had to go with the substitutions, to gain match rhythm. But they said: Tom, come with me. So I came with me, six o’clock at home… And on Sunday I had to play football, so they said: ooh, your condition is not so good. I said: no, i slept shit, but it’ll be alright.”

Van der Leegte was again told that he could not make it out injured. “I get a ball, it shoots into my leg in no time. I look to the side: well, that Maaskant was angry … And rightly so. Then I also thought: it has been nice,” said the current team manager of FC Eindhoven.