You're The One

Prologue

Being a footballer usually means that you have to move around a lot, whether that be a different country or a different city, it's rare to spend more than a couple years in one place. As an only child, I always felt bad living far from my parents, who had done so much for me to help fulfil my dream of playing professionally. My parents were the ones who encouraged me to pursue the sport, when it was clear I had a knack for kicking a ball, despite my original reluctance. I was a quiet child, either buried in a book or drawing something, more artistic than sporty.

When I turned nine though, my family and I made a trip to Barcelona, where we watched an El Clásico directly at Camp Nou, the near 100,000 capacity stadium completely full. It was honestly a life-changing experience for me, especially since I wasn't lucky enough to be frequently going to matches abroad, and that was the day I fell in love with the game. As I held both of my parents hands, walking through the Barcelona streets after the match finished, I said to them, "I'm going to play there one day." I think they both jumped inside, as they had always wanted their child to be into sports, especially when they were quite athletic themselves, with my Dad also playing football and my Mum doing gymnastics when they were younger. I'm not so sure what changed in my mind that day, but I think it was the atmosphere. The way that the fans went quiet during the second before a ball went into the net, in anticipation, waiting for the net to shake and signal the goal. The way that they would cheer and celebrate with the strangers around them, not caring who they were. The way everyone would hold up the coloured sheets of paper, creating the best scenery. It was the passion, it was the unity, it was everything about the game and the fans.

We moved from my hometown of Meppel in the Netherlands to Twente when I was fourteen, which was just an hour away. They had better opportunities for my football career, with FC Twente being one of the best clubs in the country at the time. To be honest, I would barely leave the house except for training when I was younger, as I was always very introverted and reserved, although I did get more outgoing as I got older. My first day at Twente was terrifying for teenage me, although I was able to settle in quickly and meet some of my best friends. Jill Roord in particular, who started at the club during a similar time to me. I was a few months older than her, but it meant that we went through the youth national team together. I distinctly remember getting the call up for the under-19 Championship way back in 2014, sitting in the changing room after we played a match. Ironically, we had just played against Heerenveen, the club where my other youth national teammate Vivianne Miedema was playing, another player who I had known ever since the beginning. She had gotten a call up as well, and although we had just beaten her team, she couldn't help but jump in excitement when we reunited in the parking lot afterwards, knowing that all three of us would be going together.

Playing at Twente was an eye opening experience, you could say the least. I learnt so much, thrust into the spotlight at the very young age of sixteen, making my first team debut during the 2012-2013 season. I won the BeNe league twice, comprised of teams from Belgium and the Netherlands, and I got to play in front of my family and hometown friends every week. My first senior team call up came in October of 2014, during a World Cup qualification play-off match against Scotland. I played a full ninety in my preferred position of right back, assisting the first goal in an eventual 2-1 win. I was the second of Viv, Jill and I to get called up for the national team, a year after the starlet goal scorer Viv had become, got her first. I definitely felt a little bit of longing when Jill hadn't yet been promoted to the senior team, but I just couldn't wait for the day we would all get to play together, representing our country on the biggest stage.

Jill did get called up soon enough, earning her first international cap in February before the World Cup. There's a picture of us on that day, taken straight after the match by her Dad, all of us sweaty and exhausted from the match. It's my home screen, and whenever I open my phone I remember how lucky I am to have them. My first senior competition was the 2015 World Cup, which was held in Canada. It wasn't our best performance by all means, getting knocked out by Japan in the round of sixteen, but it was a great experience that I wouldn't change for the world.