Once PSV and Oranje, now Brenet is happier than ever at Twente: ‘Gift from heaven’
NOS Football–
Revived Brenet enjoys FC Twente and ‘grandpa’ Jans: ‘Feel free here’
Joshua Brenet is only 28 years old, but FC Twente’s right back has already had a whole footballing life to him. He broke through at right back position at PSV, even played two international matches for the Dutch national team in 2016 and left two years later for Hoffenheim to play in the German Bundesliga.
That’s where things went wrong. In four years, he barely played any games, especially the last two years, and a rental period at Vitesse ended in disappointment.
Brenet went through a deep valley: “If you’re not allowed to play for two years, only train and play a positional game, you don’t feel like a footballer anymore. There was no more light at the end of the tunnel. Until FC Twente wanted me. A gift from heaven.”
Last season, Brenet signed a contract with FC Twente in the winter break. Since then, he has played almost everything and scored seven times. As right back. “I have found myself again. The love for the game, the fun … I found everything again in Enschede. And you notice that in the matches.”
Opponent PSV
Not only with Brenet personally are things going well. FC Twente is fifth in the league, just three points behind number four PSV. And let Brenet’s old club be the opponent this afternoon. “PSV still does something to me, it’s the first time I go back to the Phillips Stadium,” Brenet said.
“Including youth, I played eight years at PSV, the club always has a special place in my heart,” the defender continued.
Still, Brenet is happy not to be playing at Sunday’s opponent. “At PSV you always have to be first or second. Here it’s more the feeling that it’s allowed. That gives you a bit of freedom as a person and in your head. You can dream and have ambitions here.”
“You’re not going to get better than this. Everything is perfect here, a nice team, a coach who sees it in you. That completes the picture when I came here.” Not entirely coincidentally, Brenet calls trainer Ron Jans one of the pillars of success in Enschede.
The 64-year-old native of Zwolle, who is leaving after this season, has a striking role according to Brenet: “He is a kind of grandfather. Just as if you go to your grandfather as a grandchild and get revived. Jans has that about him. That you can always go to him with your feelings. Because we are not robots.”
