Joey Veerman was born on November 19, 1998, in Purmerend in the Dutch province of North Holland. He completed nearly his entire soccer training at FC Volendam, where he also made his professional debut at the age of 17. It became clear early on that the midfielder had something special. In his first three years, he quickly established himself as a regular starter at Volendam and tallied 22 points in 81 competitive matches.
In 2019, Veerman left his hometown club and the team where he had developed his skills, making the move to SC Heerenveen in the Dutch Eredivisie. There, he established himself as the playmaker in central midfield. In his first season at Heerenveen, he recorded nine direct goal contributions in the Netherlands’ top division; the following season, that number had already risen to 17.
In January 2022, he finally moved on to top-tier club PSV Eindhoven, where Joey Veerman would go on to make his breakthrough on the international stage as well. Roger Schmidt, PSV’s head coach at the time, spoke highly of Veerman: “He always has good ideas, makes good decisions under pressure, and always looks ahead.”
Game-Changer at PSV Eindhoven
In Eindhoven, too, it didn’t take Veerman long to establish himself. His ability to accelerate the play from deep, outwit opposing defenses with precise passes, and set up attacks with a single touch was a perfect fit for Eindhoven’s dominant style of soccer. Under former BVB coach Peter Bosz, at the latest, he became a true game-changer at PSV.
In February and March 2024, Veerman took the field twice with PSV against Borussia Dortmund when the two teams faced off in the Round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League. In total, Veerman has played 44 times in European competition so far.
In Eindhoven, Veerman won numerous titles up until this past summer. He won the Dutch league title three times with the club, the Dutch Cup twice, and the Dutch Super Cup three times. Thus, during his time at PSV, Veerman won nearly everything Dutch club soccer has to offer.
Last season, he was the top assist provider in the entire Dutch league with 14 assists in 30 appearances.
In addition, Veerman became a Dutch national team player and was part of the Oranje squad at the 2024 European Championship in Germany. To date, he has played a total of 16 international matches for the Netherlands (scoring one goal).
“The Best Passer in the Netherlands”
Just how highly Veerman’s qualities are regarded by his prominent national team teammates was demonstrated by Donyell Malen in the run-up to the 2024 European Championship. When asked in a UEFA segment which Oranje players came to mind when he heard the keyword “passing,” the former Borussian player replied: “Joey Veerman.” And his PSV coach, Peter Bosz, was equally certain back in May on Dutch television: “He’s the best passer in the Netherlands.”
Add to that a dangerous long-range shot. Veerman also looks to finish from the second line—another facet of his attacking game.
After five successful years in Eindhoven, the 27-year-old is now poised to take the next step in his development. In Dortmund, the new signing will wear the number 25 jersey. The Dutch international’s jersey is now available in the online Fanshop.
Veerman is expected to add another dimension to Borussia Dortmund’s midfield with his ability to dictate the pace of play. At the same time, having won eight titles during his time at PSV, he brings a wealth of experience that should provide additional stability to the BVB lineup.Mats-Yannick Roth