Behind The Scenes: The Life Of A Superliga Player
The life of a footballer is one many people dream of. But beyond the euphoria of scoring goals and the chance to earn small (or large) fortunes, the minutiae of the role of a professional player is something that few discover. So I sat down with Viborg’s Dutch midfielder Clint Leemans to get a sense of what life as a Superliga player was really like.
It’s well known that data has become a massive part of football. What data do you pay attention to as a player and how do you use it to improve your game?
At Viborg we have Marius, our data analyst, and he’s really close to the game and the players. We have one-on-one meetings with him and for example I discovered I was top of the league for attacking involvements. Something like that is really interesting to learn. Also the coach (Jacob Friis) really pays attention to the data - whether it’s how many times we bypass the opponents, how many box entries we have, possession, xG…so we use it a lot. After a game I look at how many times I have got into the high sprint zone (so above 27 kph) as it’s an area I’ve been trying to improve in my game.
With so much preparation during the week, how important is the pre match and half time team talk? Is it just about building adrenaline or are there important last minute tactical tweaks too?
Yeah as you say you prepare the tactics all week so building the adrenaline is the most important thing at that time. We normally have a really short talk before the game - the coach always starts with one or two minutes to get the structure and how we want to play then of course you start with your own routine - putting on your kit, stretching and mental preparation.
How many pairs of boots do you get through in a season and do you have to wear them in before you use them in a match?
Everybody wants the new boots of course! I think I have 5 or 6 pairs each year, but we need different pairs to play on artificial turf against Silkeborg and Nordsjaelland. We also train on artificial turf because the pitches in Denmark aren’t great due to the weather, but the day before a game we always train in the stadium to get the feeling of the pitch and of course there we wear the boots we will wear for the match.
On the subject of kit, why are shin pads so small now? When I was younger we had those big ones that go around the ankles!
(Laughs) That’s a good one…I had those also but nobody wears them anymore. I have just normal ones, about the size of my phone, but sometimes I see people using the soles from a shoe as a shin pad and that’s really dangerous! Actually against West Ham I was really lucky as Angelo Ogbonna came in with his studs directly on my shin and it was only the fact I had good shin pads that stopped me getting injured.
Does that feeling of getting new kit every year ever wear off as a player?
Not really…we have three new kits this season and I’m a fan of all of them. Normally I’m not that positive about kits but this year we changed from Nike to Capelli - it wasn’t a brand I knew but the quality is really good, from the kits to the bags to the shoes. In fact when the third kit came out I think it sold out in like 30 minutes - that’s crazy!
Do you ever swap shirts with players you play against?
Yeah I do. I got two from West Ham - the first game away I swapped with Thilo Kehrer and at the home game I swapped with Gianluca Scamacca because I knew him from playing with him at PSV in the youth team. I also have one from Van Persie from his time at Feyenoord when I was at Venlo. We won that game 1-0 and I scored and so it was nice to play against him, score the winner and get his jersey. I don’t frame them or anything but they’re all in my house and when I see them in the cupboard I do think to myself that’s going to be a really nice thing to look back on in the future.
Do players look at their stats on FIFA & do they talk about it with their teammates?
Of course! I play a lot with friends because I’m alone here - my best friend plays for Toulouse (Branco van den Boomen) so we have our FIFA Ultimate Team where both of us are on the bench which we laugh about. When the latest FIFA came out everyone at Viborg said ‘Clint you’re the best player, you’ve got highest rating’ and I said ‘yeah of course!’ (laughs). The detail is crazy though - even for us in the Superliga they know so much. I play centre midfield and on the game my second position is right wing - I’ve only played that position a few times but somehow they knew it!
What do players say to the referee during a game? Is there a line you know not to cross?
Of course the ref is always the guy you can blame but in the end he’s just a normal guy. I think how you say something makes a big difference - if you’re really angry or gesticulate with your arms then you are making it easier for him to give you a yellow card. If you are calm, more often than not you’ll get a reasonable answer. I think the addition of VAR has made things fairer too, although it does change the feeling of scoring a goal. I actually talked about it last week with Jay-Roy Grot, he scored to make it 2-1 and wanted to celebrate but he didn’t know whether to do it as it was a very tight call for whether it was onside. You’re always nervous when you celebrate so it’s changed that aspect at lot.
Yeah I’ve noticed far fewer people do the cupped ear celebration now right!
(Laughs) Yes exactly! My celebrations are spontaneous but my favourite is the classic ‘arms out sideways’ with a jump after - that’s just always what I’ve done. In fact I did a dab once with friends but that was when I was younger…I think I’ll keep doing the same one.
In a footballer’s career you never know where you next move might take you. Before you signed for Viborg, what did you know about Denmark?
I didn’t know much about the football to be honest. In Holland you only really have Eredivise and Premier League, but now being here I think that people back home look down at Danish football a bit unfairly. Take for example FC Midtjylland - they played Feyenoord recently and it was two really even games. I knew nothing about Viborg but I looked at the city and at Aarhus which is nearby and that’s also a really great city. The football culture is really strong here…last week I went to Copenhagen to watch the Champions League match (against Dortmund) and of course the national team is doing really well too. They beat France twice so I think Denmark is really underrated from a football perspective and I hope will do well in the World Cup.
What’s been the biggest surprise about Denmark?
The people - they are really kind, not just to me but to each other. When I came here everyone wanted to help me. That’s not always normal - I have former teammates who have moved to other clubs outside of Denmark and have had a very different experience, where they can feel a bit isolated and left to do their own thing.
With various nationalities in the squad do you speak English on the pitch? What about with the Dutch players?
On and off the pitch it’s English. Of course the Danish players will speak to each other in Danish too but if I need to say something really quick to Jay-Roy it’s always in Dutch. In fact I remember the coach telling us to speak Dutch on free kicks so the opponent doesn’t know what you will do - we actually scored a goal that way!
When you go to an away game do you have a set seat on the team bus?
Absolutely - every time the same place! I was of course sitting with the Dutch guys and on the travel days we have a lot of time to talk about everything in life - with some Netflix too. If someone new comes and tries to sit on my seat I’ll tell them to find another one (laughs).
When you join a new team do you get added to the WhatsApp group straight away or does it take time?
Yeah straight away. On a practical level there’s always important stuff coming in from the coach or the team manager. On our team WhatsApp group Ibrahim Said is the funniest guy - he’s always on TikTok and posting stuff. I have to say, he’s a really good guy and is doing a fantastic job this season.
What about squad numbers? When do you get the chance to choose yours?
It happened recently where number 10 became free - Justin Lonwijk wanted #10 and I wanted #8 (Lonwijk’s number at the time) so we talked about it and were deciding whether to ask or not. But before we did, Nils Mortimer joined and took #10 so we were like, “damn we’re too late! (laughs).” You see your squad number every day so I think it’s quite important - when I joined Viborg they had already picked out #14 for me. It was the lowest available number but also the number of Thierry Henry and Johann Cryuff of course!
Do you get recognised when you’re out and about and is it something you enjoy or an annoyance?
It’s always cool - when I was young I wanted pictures with PSV players so when I see that I can make a kid happy by taking a photo with them it’s really nice and to be honest it’s part of the job. When I’m 40 and retired people might not recognise me so it’s a nice feeling that they do.
When you pick up an injury do you know immediately how serious it is?
I know my body really well so when I start feeling something I go to the physio immediately. I can’t say a lot about injuries because I’ve always been fit for the past few years, knock on wood, but you live for it so food, sleep and rest is all really important.
Have you ever felt ready to play but been told no because of something the medical team or trainers have spotted?
Yeah, wow, that’s basically what happened last month! We had a lot of games with Europe and I wanted to play every game. The coach wanted to manage my workload a bit, I didn’t agree with him at the time because you get in a rhythm and don’t want to disrupt that but in the end I realise you have to listen to the coach.
How much time and energy do you dedicate to your future after football?
It’s definitely something I think about - I have my first papers already to be a coach. Of course there are more to do but I did the first one in Holland so when I go back home I’ll move on with that. You do think about what will happen in 8 years or so in my case but I’d love to be a coach.
Maybe future Viborg manager?
Haha yeah that would be nice!
What does it feel like to be sent off and be back in the changing room on your own while your teammates are still out there playing?
I moved from PSV to VVV Venlo and when we played PSV I scored to put us 1-0 up but then I got a red and we ended up losing 2-1. The coach was angry about my stupid second yellow card and players were making jokes, so it follows you around for a few weeks but then it’s gone. It’s not a nice feeling though - you get a suspension, you annoy the team and you annoy the coach so you don’t want to be in that situation!
When you work so hard on the training ground and the pitch for 9 or 10 months, what do you look forward to most in the off-season?
Maybe some beers! But mainly holiday, relaxing and spending time with my girlfriend. Last season we ended the season with the European playoff victory and there was a huge party after that. And then when we came back to go on to so many European trips was amazing.
Viborg have been one of the best stories to follow in the Superliga in recent years. At the time of writing they are sitting in 2nd place in the Superliga, and with 3 league goals and an assist to his name already this season Clint has played a key role in helping the Jylland side overcome the odds of the traditional elite in Danish football and put together a credible title challenge. Watch this space for what the season holds for them!
Thank you to Clint for his time - I never take for granted the generosity of everyone who’s been part of the Football In Denmark story to date. And if you haven’t yet read them, check out the other Behind The Scenes pieces here.
