Each month in the "our heroes" section you will read about the club's greatest idols. Who are these heroes and what have they meant to the club? With this month: Georginio Wijnaldum. The magnificent midfielder of Surinamese descent who was also called "Gini" played four seasons at PSV. He was seen as a role model pro with many footballing qualities who would go far.
Georginio was born 32 years ago in Rotterdam, where he went through the youth of Sparta and city rival Feyenoord. He had the football legs at an early age. He stood out for his creativity and game insight on the pitch.
Stormy development in Eindhoven
PSV liked the midfielder and for Georginio, Eindhoven turned out to be the place to develop further. This he certainly did, as he soon proved an indispensable pawn in midfield. Here he often played alongside Jorrit Hendrix and Andrés Guardado, among others. In total, Gini played 154 matches for PSV, in which he managed to find the net 56 times. He was also productive for his teammates with 24 assists. Within four seasons, he grew into a very mature player who served as a driving force in midfield.
European career
At the very highest level in England, Georginio continued his career. Newcastle United made off with his sought-after signature and a starring role was soon waiting for Gini. A few years later, a step up was waiting for him: Liverpool FC. The English top club and coach Jürgen Klopp were enthusiastic about Wijnaldum and managed to acquire the midfielder. After this English adventure, he continued his career at Paris Saint Germain. This turned out not to be such a success for the midfielder in retrospect: he got few minutes played and was eventually rented out to AS Roma. In "the eternal city," the hunt for minutes played continued. After a shin fracture and missing the World Cup, Georginio is now gaining match rhythm and making his first minutes since the injury.
Gini's trophy cabinet
Georginio Wijnaldum already has several trophies in his trophy cabinet. With PSV he won the Johan Cruijff Schaal, the KNVB Cup twice and in his last year he took the championship in the Eredivisie with PSV. Despite much foreign interest, Gini stayed with PSV and was determined to become champion in his final year. So did Memphis Depay and so they both became champions in the PSV shirt. A dream come true. As a PSV player, he was awarded the title "footballer of the year Netherlands. In the years that followed, he also picked up several awards abroad. He won the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup and UEFA Supercup, and he became champion of England and France.
Oranje
With 86 international matches to his name and 6312 minutes played in the Dutch national team, Georginio Wijnaldum can call himself an eye-catcher for the Dutch national team. Gini will never forget his debut for the Dutch national team. In the 86th minute, Wijnaldum came on for Kevin Strootman and within four (!) minutes he managed to score his first international goal!