Heurelho Gomes is one of the few who can say that he became Dutch champion four times in a row. Last week we looked back on that in detail. Earlier this year we reminisced with one of the best PSV goalkeepers ever. In England, we talked to one of the most popular former players of this century: 'After my career I want to be closer to PSV.'
Text: Frans Raaijmakers
The welcome is warm, this drizzling afternoon at Watford FC's cozy training complex in northwest London. Heurelho Gomes welcomes his visit from Eindhoven with an amicable tap on the shoulder: "How are you, my friend?" His typical smile is chiseled on the face.
The aging process seems to have little hold on him. Both physically and mentally, Gomes is in good shape. The fact that he is now second goalkeeper does not diminish that. "It's wonderful that I'm still playing in the strongest league in the world, isn't it?"
Moving boxes
Almost put away the goalkeeper's football shoes after last season. He was even already saying goodbye to the home crowd. The moving boxes were packed in the hall of his home when he decided to add another year to his already impressive football career. Indeed, what was supposed to be his last official game in professional football ended in a merciless beating: in the FA Cup final, the Brazilian had to fish six times against an unleashed Manchester City. This was not how Gomes wanted to bid farewell to football.
The doubts completely hit him when his sons Flavio and Luiz ("no, not goalkeepers, both strikers") also got involved: "Dad, why don't you continue playing football?" When Watford then offered him a one-year contract extension, the temptation proved too much: "The club asked if I wanted to help. Watford has always been good to me and clearly showed that I was needed. That appreciation is important to me."
Asked if this was a one-time burst and thus he will say goodbye for good in 2020, the goalkeeper remains guilty of the answer. He shrugs his shoulders. "No idea, I'll decide sometime in the next few months. It also depends on what comes my way." Then, laughing: "If clubs like Watford or PSV still want to call on me, saying no is a lot harder."
As Watford's goalkeeper
O Goleiro Grande
The word PSV has been dropped. The club with which the Brazilian won no less than four national titles between 2004 and 2008. His love for PSV and its fans has not waned over the years, that much is clear. On the contrary, he still talks fondly about his time in Eindhoven. Not only about the titles but also about the public tribute 'O Goleiro Grande' that still makes him emotional. About the clashes with Lyon in the quarterfinals of the Champions League, which he refers to as the most memorable matches of his career.
But also about Ismail Aissati and Jonathan Reis, according to Gomes the most underrated footballers he has played with and who, for various reasons, have not been able to make the most of their careers. About Alex, the Brazilian tank, perhaps the best player the goalkeeper has played with. And Guus Hiddink, his football father for whom he has "incredible respect.
Gomes still follows the club closely, especially through social media, and is still in regular contact with team manager Mart van den Heuvel. When talking about PSV, the goalie still uses the we form: "We're not doing so well this season, huh?"
Shortly after his starring role in the penalty shootout against Lyon in the Champions League
I read that you are considering becoming a player mentor after your career.
"I'm thinking about that. Coaching Brazilian players who make the move to Europe, that sounds like something I would like to do. Too often I still see talented players give up on their football dreams because they can't settle down. Isn't it strange that European clubs spend a lot of money on players but then fail to coach them adequately? The human aspect is often forgotten, because those guys are completely lost in no time. If they have trouble adjusting off the field, how can you as a club expect them to perform well inside the lines?"
So what do you want to give these young boys?
"Direction. Clubs do help, but language and culture remains a major barrier. Richarlison came into Watford as a young Brazilian, but felt welcome when he could speak his own language with us here. In the winter, he came to training in shorts and flip-flops for a while, so at one point I started buying warm clothes with him. The same goes for João Pedro, our new acquisition of 18 years. He just arrived here. On Christmas Eve, I ordered dinner and delivered it to his house. It's often little things. I know what these players like and need."
You yourself moved from Brazil to Europe as a young player, to PSV.
"Exactly, I know what I'm talking about. In the beginning everything is news, in the local supermarket I couldn't find anything. So in the beginning I often went to the KFC where I pointed out a big bucket of chicken on a plate that I mixed with rice at home. Fortunately, then press chief Pedro Salazar helped me tremendously. And with Guus Hiddink I was able to communicate in Spanish. The club felt like a warm blanket that allowed me to adapt quickly. That is unfortunately not the case everywhere."
With current captain Ibrahim Afellay after winning the title in 2008
Also, you may want to become a pastor.
"That is indeed an option for later. When I don't know yet. I like taking care of people and want to repay God for what He has given me and my family. We weren't well off before, so I prayed to God a lot. I asked for a house for my mother, but He gave me the chance to play for a big club in Holland. I am eternally grateful to Him."
The coaching profession doesn't pull you in?
"No, not really. Never say never, but I don't expect to return to the field. A role at PSV? Well, I would like to get closer to PSV after my career. As a PSV ambassador, for example, a bit what Carlos Salcido is doing now in Mexico, for example. I would also like to return to Eindhoven one more time, wave to the fans one more time. I never officially said goodbye to them after I left PSV."
What many may not know is that you are not only very popular in Eindhoven. The Independent and Daily Mail even wrote this year that you are one of Watford's best buys in recent years. You are not only appreciated as a goalkeeper but also as a signboard of the club. It must be satisfying to live on such good terms with fans of two big clubs, right?
"I am also proud of that. It is never my intention to become the star of a club. I just want to do my job well and repay the trust people have in me. I like to build a bond with the fans, after all, it's not the players who make the club but the supporters. I like to give the fans attention, perhaps that is exceptional in football. In any case, I'm not acting, this is how I am."
In short, when you look back on your career later it will be with great satisfaction.
"Absolutely. I couldn't ask for more than this. Of course you still think back to certain moments, like the Champions League semifinal. We were so close then, but disappointed in matches I'm not really. No, my biggest disappointment in football is the way I left PSV, via a fierce interview and a split with Jan Reker. Enough has been said about that, but I regret that a lot."
Enjoying one of the many successes alongside Guus Hiddink and Ji-Sung Park