On Sunday, it will likely be an unbelievable 513 PEC Zwolle matches and finished for Bram van Polen. The person who’s synonymous with the Eredivisie membership, full with bespoke contract requests like a household tenting vacation, will pull on the blue-and-white shirt for the ultimate time when his membership host Twente. And with that, it ends his standing because the longest-serving, energetic, one-club man in Europe’s high six leagues.
“Again within the day, my idol was Steven Gerrard and I noticed how a lot he meant to Liverpool,” Van Polen tells ESPN. “I at all times made the selections on how I felt, and I felt that despite the fact that it wasn’t financially your best option, I do not care about these issues. I care concerning the individuals round me. I adore it right here.”
Since Van Polen, 38, introduced his intention to retire on April 24, his cellphone hasn’t stopped pinging with messages, emails and calls. “It is practically not possible for me to deal with it in the intervening time,” he says. “Not less than I’ve no social media — that saves me, I feel.”
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He sat down to begin responding to all of them however as an alternative, he and his spouse, Lotte, toasted a profession well-lived with a bottle of wine. He is felt the love: a earlier sponsor has provided him complimentary garments for all times, an area enterprise will clear his automotive free of charge; he is obtained crates of beer, wine and numerous messages of assist and goodwill. His penultimate match was away at RKC Waalwijk final weekend, they usually offered him with a print honouring his profession.
This week, supporters have been buying commemorative Van Polen shirts; he’ll put on one too, full with the No.2 he is made his personal, in addition to his signature and “Voor attijd” (“without end”) on the again. He is additionally had a track written about him by the stadium announcer Marco ten Kate, who additionally moonlights as a celebration singer): “It is beautiful, but in addition bizarre to listen to that about you.”
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Whereas talking with ESPN, Van Polen struggles to recollect every little thing that is occurred over the previous three weeks since he known as time on his profession. It is all slightly overwhelming. “I am slightly afraid of how I am going to react on Sunday,” he says.
Van Polen joined PEC Zwolle again in 2007 from Vitesse. He by no means made a senior look for Vitesse, taking part in just for their reserves. It was in a type of matches the place then PEC head coach Jan Everse noticed him. Everse described him this week as a “strolling proper winger,” including that “he did not even play effectively, however he had huge drive.”
PEC and Van Polen had been the right match and he made his debut aged 22 on Oct. 12, 2007, in a 5-0 win over AGOVV. Everse quickly shifted him from the wing to right-back, the place he’d keep for the remainder of his profession. Again then, the membership’s present house was in growth — they hardly ever bought over 3,000 spectators, altering in short-term cabins — however the membership and Van Polen grew collectively, and it has been an ideal footballing marriage.
“I am not solely a footballer, however a supporter of this membership, it is so magnificent to really feel every little thing in the intervening time, and it’s overwhelming,” Van Polen says. “It is virtually too good.”
Van Polen took over the captaincy in January 2013. Liverpool’s incoming supervisor Arne Slot had worn the armband via to the summer season of 2012, with Joey van den Berg taking it on till he left midway via the 2012-13 season; from there, it was then handed on to Van Polen.
At that stage, the membership had been again within the Dutch high flight having received the 2011-12 Eerste Divisie; that trophy is certainly one of Van Polen’s three. The opposite two items of silverware got here on the finish of the 2013-14 marketing campaign the place they received the KNVB Cup for the primary time of their historical past because of a outstanding 5-1 victory over Frank de Boer’s Ajax. “That was the most important second, not only for me, but in addition the membership.” Van Polen scored their fifth objective that day, and the group would additionally take the Johan Cruyff Protect forward of the next season.
That Dutch Cup triumph propelled them into Europe for the primary time, nevertheless it was a short-lived existence, as they fell to Sparta Prague within the playoff. “It was too brief”.
Who was his hardest opponent? Eljero Elia, when he was at Feyenoord. “We performed them on a Thursday in De Kuip within the Dutch Cup and he f—ing destroyed me. We performed them once more on the Sunday within the league, and he destroyed me once more.”
It is price noting that Van Polen additionally got here near leaving as soon as. “It was 5 – 6 years in the past; I talked with the coach of Central Coast Mariners in Australia, we got here shut, however we had been fourth within the league and PEC would not let me go away.” But he stayed loyal to PEC and although he has thought of retirement earlier than, when the membership had been relegated again to the second tier of Dutch soccer in 2022, he knew he had to assist them again to the highest flight.
“We’re an Eredivisie membership, it would not have been good to remain within the KKD [second division],” he says. They had been promoted on the first try by ending second and after preserving their Eredivisie standing this 12 months, he knew it was the suitable time to step apart. However he did have doubt — the ambiance within the altering room after their 2-2 draw at Ajax noticed second ideas flit via his thoughts. “It is exhausting to explain how wonderful that feels if you happen to’re not there.”
Annually, his contract negotiations with PEC Zwolle “took one minute and we closed the deal”, he says, merely renewing the earlier 12 months’s phrases. However in his mischievous method, he felt like difficult the membership slightly, so he inbuilt bespoke clauses. “I stated to them, it is too simple, you must do one thing for it,” he says, grinning.
The contract modifications started with a meal on the famend three-Michelin-star restaurant De Librije; subsequent 12 months was a tenting vacation along with his household. The third clause he thought up was a second-hand automotive for his spouse. The membership despatched him a number of choices: he went for a white Peugeot with 55,000-odd miles on the clock. The fourth clause final 12 months was a spherical of drinks (a beer or espresso, he says) for each supporter within the floor.
However on Sunday, he’ll write the ultimate web page on this 17-year love affair. His daughters will likely be delighted: close to the place they dwell on Saturdays, the locals all eat fries — the Van Polens have been used to their father’s prematch meal of pasta. To allow them to now take part with that, they usually’ll be there this weekend to look at their dad’s remaining match for the “Blauwvingers” (“Bluefingers”).
“I say I am married not solely to my spouse, but in addition with the membership. I really feel it, particularly when issues aren’t going effectively with the membership, then it involves me to speak with individuals on the workplace and with supporters. I attempt to get everybody transferring in the identical route in robust moments.”
Even after he leaves this weekend, it is clear Van Polen will not turn out to be a stranger to the membership. As one fan wrote this week, a statue would not be becoming for Van Polen as “9 instances out of ten it is an unpleasant factor and that is the very last thing we would need for you. What’s far more essential to us is that you’re retained by the membership ready that fits you.”
So Van Polen will keep in a task with the membership, as a coaching director. “I am going to begin in August, and I am going to work contained in the membership but in addition go and watch another golf equipment for us too.” He’ll additionally work as a tv pundit.
There was loads of pleasure after information broke he was going to play a season along with his native newbie aspect VVOG in Harderwijk, followers hopeful of yet another glimpse of a bona fide Dutch cult hero. “It is solely with my associates, we’re simply messing round,” he says. “All of them thought I used to be going to play for the primary group, however no, it is seven vs. seven and we’ll drink beer.”
When he filmed his leaving announcement, he did it in a single take. The stadium was empty behind him, a sole highlight above his head. He did not prefer it. He loves the place when it is full and on Sunday, for one remaining time, they’re going to be seeing their membership legend run out onto the sphere for his beloved PEC Zwolle. “It is troublesome to speak about your self, however I am pleased with what I’ve finished. I feel in a couple of years I am going to have the ability to respect it extra.”
So how does he see the previous 17 years? How has he modified from the person who pulled on the shirt for the primary time again in October 2007? He smiles, laughs, and solutions: “I am quite a bit prettier now.”
And the way does he anticipate feeling on Monday when it is all finished and he is not an expert footballer? “I feel I am going to have fairly the hangover.”
