MADRID, 8 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen has become a new player for NEC Nijmegen, a club where he was trained in the lower categories and with which he has signed a new contract for the next three seasons, as announced by both teams in separate statements.
“Valencia CF and NEC Nijmegen have reached an agreement for the transfer of Jasper Cillessen to the Dutch club,” the Spanish club reported on Monday, before wishing him “good luck” in his new stage.
Cillessen arrived at Valencia in 2019 from FC Barcelona and has played 67 games in all competitions with the ‘ché’ club. He made his debut as a Valencianista in August 2019 against Real Sociedad and reached 50 games as a black and white player in December 2021 against Celta.
Now the goalkeeper returns after eleven years to the club where he grew up, Cillessen, 33, switched from NEC to Ajax in the summer of 2011, to play for the Dutch capital club for five seasons. Thus, in August 2016 he signed for FC Barcelona, always in the shadow of Ter Stegen, wearing the Barça shirt for three courses.
“I am very happy to be home. For the last ten years I have had wonderful adventures and coming back to Nijmegen is now the icing on the cake for me. NEC is working on a beautiful project and I would like to be a part of it. I hope I can contribute my experience”, commented Cillessen in statements shared by the NEC collected by Europa Press.
For his part, the technical director of the Dutch team, Ted van Leeuwen, stressed that Cillessen is “a goalkeeper with exceptional qualities, the best in the Netherlands.” “If you can sign a goalkeeper like that, you should never doubt. We weren’t looking for a goalkeeper, but he found us, it was a great opportunity. We are happy that Jasper is back where he started,” he settled on the goalkeeper, who has 63 caps with his selection.