When manager, Ronald Koeman made his farewell speech to 50,000 fans in Feyenoord’s De Kuip stadium in April 2014, captain Jordy Clasie had to use his shirt to wipe away his tears, “I will never forget him, he taught me to be a leader and showed me how I could get the best tactically. He practically raised me” (Fox Sports interview). Under Koeman, Feyenoord finished third and second twice and

Clasie – a small but controlling midfielder – drew comparisons to the likes of Xavi and Iniesta.

That summer he featured twice for Holland in the World Cup Finals in Brazil helping them to 3rd place. Returning from South America, Feyenoord turned down a Porto bid of 8m Euros and he signed a new four-year contract, but Koeman, now at Southampton, hadn’t forgotten his protégé and a year later came back to sign him for a fee of £8m to replace the recently-departed Morgan Schneiderlin. Described at the time of his signing by Dutch Journalist, Mark Lievisse Adriaanse, as a

“defensive midfielder, an intelligent footballer with great passing ability”

he had that summer been pursued by Schalke 04, AS Roma and Lazio, but he was always likely to want to play for the man whose departure had caused him to weep. Despite being reunited with his old boss, his career never really took off. The “quiet and introverted” Dutch man-made 23 starts in his first season, but then Koeman left and the following season, under Claude Puel, he made four fewer starts before the new manager, Mauricio Pellegrino allowed him to go out on loan. There was no doubt the turnover of managers, his small stature and lack of stamina had not helped him settle in the Premier League and, even after another season on loan, this time at the club where he had shone so brightly, did not result in a permanent offer. He finally left St Mary’s for good in the summer of 2019, heading back to Holland.