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DANIEL de Ridder will return to Wigan this weekend with a much clearer idea of whether he has a first-team future at Wigan Athletic.
The Dutchman has entered the final year of his contract, and is hoping his efforts on the four-day training camp in Sweden have persuaded Roberto Martinez he is worthy of keeping on.
De Ridder has struggled to nail down a spot during his two years at Wigan and spent the second half of last term on loan at Hapoel Tel Aviv.
He enjoyed his spell in Israel, his mother’s birthplace, and recovered from an early injury setback to help Hapoel record a league and cup double.
However, De Ridder is determined to give it one last shot this summer to prove he can cut it in Europe – ideally with Wigan.
“I would love to stay here at Wigan – but only if I am playing regularly,” De Ridder told the Evening Post.
“That’s what every player wants and that’s my only goal at the moment.
“I will be speaking to Roberto, and whatever comes out of that chat will make the situation a bit clearer for myself. Then we’ll make the right decision for all parties.
“The career of a footballer is so short, and I cannot waste any more time. That’s my feeling. If I’m not going to be playing, then I hope the manager will be honest about it – and I think he will be.”
De Ridder’s grounding could not have been better – a graduate of the famous Ajax academy alongside close pals Nigel de Jong, Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder.
He represented Holland all the way through to Under-21 level, and played alongside Robin van Persie in the Dutch Olympic side.
But, since leaving Ajax for Celta Vigo in the summer of 2005, De Ridder’s career has failed to match that of his colleagues, and he now stands at a career crossroads.
However, he showed his willingness to impress by accepting the move to Hapoel in the hope it could kickstart his career, and admits the loan could not have gone any better.
“I enjoyed my time in Israel very much, although I had a bit of bad luck for the first month when I damaged my quad,” he added.
“But I managed to play more or less every game for the last two-and-a-half months, and scored a few important goals.
“It was a successful season for the club as well. We managed to win the championship for the first time in 10 years and we also won the cup final.
“The lifestyle was also fantastic in Israel. Tel Aviv is a big, modern city, right on the beach and the weather is great. It’s a very good life.
“Overall I got what I wanted out of the move. Basically, I got the pleasure of playing back again.
“I just wasn’t happy sitting in the stands at Wigan. It’s the worst thing for a footballer, and I had to get playing again.
“I’ll have to wait and see what happens now.”
Martinez has yet to decide whether De Ridder has a future at Wigan, although he has been impressed with the player’s application since returning to the club.
“Dan came back from his experiences in Israel and has been working hard,” Martinez said.
“Regarding the future, we’ll take it from there.”
Really think he deserves a chance to prove himself even more tbh….Good player in my eyes but sure we have to wait on the booss to think what he is going to do with him!
DANIEL de Ridder will return to Wigan this weekend with a much clearer idea of whether he has a first-team future at Wigan Athletic.
The Dutchman has entered the final year of his contract, and is hoping his efforts on the four-day training camp in Sweden have persuaded Roberto Martinez he is worthy of keeping on.
De Ridder has struggled to nail down a spot during his two years at Wigan and spent the second half of last term on loan at Hapoel Tel Aviv.
He enjoyed his spell in Israel, his mother’s birthplace, and recovered from an early injury setback to help Hapoel record a league and cup double.
However, De Ridder is determined to give it one last shot this summer to prove he can cut it in Europe – ideally with Wigan.
“I would love to stay here at Wigan – but only if I am playing regularly,” De Ridder told the Evening Post.
“That’s what every player wants and that’s my only goal at the moment.
“I will be speaking to Roberto, and whatever comes out of that chat will make the situation a bit clearer for myself. Then we’ll make the right decision for all parties.
“The career of a footballer is so short, and I cannot waste any more time. That’s my feeling. If I’m not going to be playing, then I hope the manager will be honest about it – and I think he will be.”
De Ridder’s grounding could not have been better – a graduate of the famous Ajax academy alongside close pals Nigel de Jong, Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder.
He represented Holland all the way through to Under-21 level, and played alongside Robin van Persie in the Dutch Olympic side.
But, since leaving Ajax for Celta Vigo in the summer of 2005, De Ridder’s career has failed to match that of his colleagues, and he now stands at a career crossroads.
However, he showed his willingness to impress by accepting the move to Hapoel in the hope it could kickstart his career, and admits the loan could not have gone any better.
“I enjoyed my time in Israel very much, although I had a bit of bad luck for the first month when I damaged my quad,” he added.
“But I managed to play more or less every game for the last two-and-a-half months, and scored a few important goals.
“It was a successful season for the club as well. We managed to win the championship for the first time in 10 years and we also won the cup final.
“The lifestyle was also fantastic in Israel. Tel Aviv is a big, modern city, right on the beach and the weather is great. It’s a very good life.
“Overall I got what I wanted out of the move. Basically, I got the pleasure of playing back again.
“I just wasn’t happy sitting in the stands at Wigan. It’s the worst thing for a footballer, and I had to get playing again.
“I’ll have to wait and see what happens now.”
Martinez has yet to decide whether De Ridder has a future at Wigan, although he has been impressed with the player’s application since returning to the club.
“Dan came back from his experiences in Israel and has been working hard,” Martinez said.
“Regarding the future, we’ll take it from there.”
Really think he deserves a chance to prove himself even more tbh….Good player in my eyes but sure we have to wait on the booss to think what he is going to do with him!
Not good enough in my opinion he has ability but is to slow and pretty light weight would like to see him and Kapo go to free up space and money on the wage bill to bring in new blood.
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