SOUTH SHRWOOD – Women’s football has been “hot” since the successes of Orange Lewinen, to say the least. And you don’t have to worry because behind the current golden generation there is also a large number of ready-made talents. One of them is Daphne Van Dumselaar. The twenty-year-old North Holland goalkeeper from Oudkarspil has played at FC Twente for four seasons. At her former club LSVV in Zuid-Scharwoude we entered an interview with her.
We’re now at LSVV where the foundation for your current football career was laid. How is that?
I always like to come back here. I’ve been living in Hengelo for a few years now, but when I come home, like now on holidays, I always try to check out my old squad.
I was running late because I started when I was only eleven years old. Before that, I swam and got several certifications, but I also played volleyball and the gym. I’ve always played football in school and in the neighborhood, but the picture in most clubs is that there are mostly boys’ teams. When I got the chance to join the girls’ team at LSVV, I applied. Shortly thereafter, she also began playing the goalkeeper role. Then we didn’t have a permanent goalkeeper and still did it in turns, but when I was in goal for the first time I liked it immediately and it turned out that I also had a knack for it.
However, you haven’t played with girls for long?
No, after that first year with E-tjes (now O11), I had actually come the previous year to play soccer with the boys in D-pupils and I also kept standing there as a goalkeeper. Ultimately, I played with the boys for four more years and so was the total five years with LSVV. It’s a great time that I look forward to with great pleasure.
Then came Telstar?
Yes, before that I was at Telstar Academy for some time. In addition to training twice at LSVV, I also trained there four times a week, so I actually started participating in football every day. Because they knew me from the academy, I was transferred to Telstar U21 with coach Eline Sol, with whom we became major league champions, and the following year he did well in the first division with Corina Dekker as coach. “
But at one point Telstar discontinued women’s football?
And since VV Alkmaar acquired the license from Telstar, the intention was in fact for the selection to move almost entirely to Alkmaar. Until suddenly I got a message from Tommy Strutt, coach of FC Twente, which, frankly, I hadn’t heard of at the time. He said, however, that they have followed me on the national selections and whether I feel like joining FC Twente’s selection. At that time, the team had already won several national titles, so I felt an honor. As it turns out from the conversation with Tommy Strutt that they really want me, so there was a lot of confidence in that.
So you went to the other side of the Netherlands at the age of 17?
“That’s right, but here too it turns out that Twente has everything right and gave me excellent care. I came to live in a house in Hengelo with four other players, where everyone has their own space. Fortunately, I already knew a number of players of choices. National youth, which made it easier again .. It went well on the field .. In the same season 2017-2018 I was allowed to make my debut in the Eredivisie and since last season I was actually a constant choice under the bar.
Are you also studying?
I first completed HAVO at Willem Blow College and then it took three years to complete VWO as well. This year, I haven’t done anything for a while and mainly focus on football, but I definitely don’t rule out a follow-up study. I don’t know exactly which direction, and I also think that there are still a lot of opportunities at my age so I’m going to take the time to make the right decision.
I just mentioned national selections. In fact, you’ve always been there, and this year you were even allowed to smell the big orange.
I have been with LSVV since my sophomore year in various regional selections for KNVB and from under 15 years old I have also been selected to participate in Orange and have gone to play international matches. After that, I was allowed to join O16, O17, O19 and O23 and this year I was selected twice for the Dutch national team. It is a dream of course to play the amazing Orange Championship, but I also tested the big leagues with the youth teams as they were very special. I already managed to experience the European Championships in the Czech Republic and Switzerland and the World Cup in France.
How did you feel about choosing “Oranje Leeuwinnen”?
‘Awesome of course. The first time was in September of the European Championship qualifiers against Russia. In the following matches, I unfortunately had an elbow injury, but last month in matches against the United States (training) and Kosovo (European Championship qualifiers) I was there again and that makes me feel proud.
It hasn’t made its debut on Orange yet. Is this one of the goals for 2021?
Of course that would be very difficult. The Olympic Games are coming and only 18 players can be selected for that. Additionally, experienced Loes Geurts will be back in fitness soon making it even more difficult for goalkeepers like Lize Kop (Ajax) and me. And let’s be honest. This team is still doing well so not only will there be changes, but one day some players will bid farewell as well, and then I have to be there. The only way to achieve this is to keep working hard. The following year, in 2022, the European Championships will take place in England and that is really a serious goal.
What is the shape of playing football in the time of Corona?
It was really annoying for us to cancel the previous competition. Also because we were third instead of second, so we lost the Champions League, while we felt there was a lot of that. This season also saw a respite, but thankfully it wasn’t long. Although it is still without an audience, we are happy anyway that we can play our sport.
Are there a lot of goals for Twente too?
‘Of course! We’ll go to prices this year. No champion was announced last year, so we’re still the current champion and we’d love to keep that status. Just as we also want to go to other prices. And we recently showed against PSV and Ajax that we can beat them, not only in character, but also in soccer play. Achieving prices is definitely goals for a team like FC Twente.
Noticeable: Around the same time, we also interviewed Marisa Uleslgers, former DSS and colleague Daphne Van Dumselaar at FC Twenty. a look Here For that interview.
Pictures: DP Sportfotografie
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