Ronald Koeman cherishes fond memories of John Guidetti. The national team coach revealed this in Voetbal International this week, where they look back on the remarkable year of the Swede at Feyenoord.
In the summer series FC Kleurrijk, we reminisce about players who added color to Dutch football. This week, the spotlight was on Guidetti, who made a significant impact during the 2011/12 season when Manchester City loaned him to Feyenoord. One of his standout moments was during his debut against NAC Breda.
Just over twenty minutes after coming on as a substitute, Guidetti scores his first league goal, beating NAC goalkeeper Jelle ten Rouwelaar, and then taunting the crowd in Breda by putting his hand behind his ear. Feyenoord wins 3-1, and Koeman needs a moment to process it all. "We knew that John was quite confident in himself," he said, "but to grab the ball for a penalty and score it on your debut is something else. That says a lot. That's when I knew we were dealing with a special player, but also someone we needed to keep in check occasionally."
In the following weeks, Guidetti also makes an impact off the field. "What a crazy guy," laughs Karim El Ahmadi. "But I also respected him for it. When you're nineteen and you join a club where you don't know anyone, and you dare to speak up like that, it says something about your character. I knew right away: this guy is good."
Koeman recognizes Guidetti as a motivator. "John certainly made the team believe in themselves; he exuded so much confidence. For a coach, that's pleasant. Among ourselves, the staff would sometimes say, 'He's really as crazy as a door.' But in a good way. Occasionally, you had to pull him aside and put a stop to it. With John, you could have very good discussions about that. He's an incredibly smart guy; he knows how far he can go."
