It is a weekday evening in Hekelingen. The training is over, the shoes are already in the trunk. Ian Devilee (20) gets into his car with a broad smile. Tired, but satisfied. “For me, training is not a chore,” he says. “I just like it. Relaxing. Doing what you like.”
That pleasure, the pure feeling of working with a ball, has not always been self-evident for Devilee. After years full of injuries and uncertainty, he is in his first season at Hekelingen. A fresh start at a club where it’s all about enjoying the game.
For the first time in his career, Devilee now plays with the seniors. For years he was part of the Spijkenisse youth academy, where football was provided. “In youth you play football according to fixed patterns, with a lot of attention to positional play and technique,” he says. “It’s really different with the seniors. Here the game is harder, the duels are fiercer and the emphasis is more on strength. Opponents are more likely to look for the long ball, and that took some getting used to in the beginning.”
Well taken care of
Yet he quickly found his niche at Hekelingen. “I was well received. In my first practice match, the older boys immediately took me along. Compliments to them, that made it easy to get on board. I mainly had to learn to play smarter: act faster, run free before you get into a duel. You get a little smarter every time.”
As a player, Devilee describes himself as a hard worker with a good overview. “I am not necessarily the most technical, but I am someone who thinks in terms of a team. A playmaker, businesslike in my game, with an excellent pass and a lot of energy.”
His love for football is great. “Not only do I enjoy doing it, I also enjoy talking about it,” he says. “I watch a lot of images on YouTube of players like Kevin De Bruyne, Andres Iniesta,
Midfield
At Hekelingen he currently plays in midfield, usually as number 10, but he also feels at home at 6 or 8. “At Spijkenisse I was sometimes in the center back or even at left back, but midfield remains my place. That’s where I can divide the game.”
Devilee had to come a long way in recent years. In recent years he had to fight hard. Physically and mentally. His right knee bothered him several times. He was operated on four times. “Twice on my meniscus. But also a stabilization correction. Once they had to straighten my leg, otherwise I would get more injuries. They then break your leg, put a plate in it, let it grow, and then take the plate out again later. That was tough.”
Tough period
That period was tough, also mentally. “You have relapses, doubts. How do you come back after such a long time? I always had support from family and friends, but there were really difficult moments. Still, the feeling remained: I want to play football. It’s too much fun to let go.”
Confidence slowly returned. “At the beginning of this season I really touched the ball again for the first time. That felt strange, almost insecure. But my knee held up, no kickback. Now it feels good. Strong even.”
At Hekelingen Devilee found what he was looking for: fun. “At Spijkenisse I was allowed to go to under 23, but it didn’t feel good anymore. Injuries, less fun. Then I started looking where I could have fun. Hekelingen is close by, I know some boys, and the level in the fifth division is really not disappointing.”
His parents are back on the sidelines every week, just like before his injuries. “They have seen me struggle through all those operations. Now they can see that I am enjoying myself again. That means a lot.”
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