Joey Veerman was born on 19 November 1998 in Purmerend, in the Dutch province of North Holland. He completed almost all of his football education 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 immediately established himself as a regular starter at Volendam and recorded 22 goal contributions in 81 competitive appearances.
In 2019, Veerman left his hometown and boyhood club to take the step up to the Dutch Eredivisie with SC Heerenveen. There, he developed into the playmaker in central midfield. In his first season in Heerenveen, he registered nine direct goal involvements in the top flight of Dutch football, and the following campaign that number had already risen to 17.
In January 2022, he then moved on to top club PSV Eindhoven, where Joey Veerman would also make his breakthrough on the international stage. Then-PSV head coach Roger Schmidt said of Veerman with appreciation: “He always has good ideas, makes good decisions under pressure and always looks forward.”
A difference-maker at PSV Eindhoven
Veerman also needed little time to establish himself in Eindhoven. His ability to speed up the game from deep, play through opposing defensive lines with precise passes and set attacks in motion with a single touch was a perfect fit for Eindhoven’s dominant style of football. Under former BVB coach Peter Bosz at the latest, he became a true difference-maker for PSV.
In February and March 2024, Veerman also faced Borussia Dortmund twice with PSV when the two teams met in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. Overall, Veerman has made 44 appearances in European competition so far.
In Eindhoven, Veerman collected many titles up to the summer of this year. He won the Dutch championship three times with the club, the Dutch Cup twice and the Dutch Super Cup three times. That means Veerman won almost everything Dutch club football has to offer during his time at PSV.
Last season, with 14 assists in 30 appearances, he was the top assist provider in the entire Dutch championship.
In addition, Veerman became a Dutch international and was part of the Oranje squad at UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany. So far, he has earned 16 caps for the Netherlands (one goal).
“The best passer in the Netherlands”
How highly Veerman’s qualities are rated by his prominent national team colleagues was also shown by Donyell Malen around EURO 2024. Asked in a UEFA format which Oranje player came to mind when hearing the word “passing,” the former BVB player replied: “Joey Veerman.” And his PSV coach Peter Bosz was also certain on Dutch television as recently as May: “He is the best passer in the Netherlands.”
On top of that, he has a dangerous shot from distance. Veerman also looks to test goal from outside the box – another facet of his attacking game.
After five successful years in Eindhoven, the 27-year-old is now set for the next step in his development. In Dortmund, the new signing will wear the number 25 shirt from now on. The Netherlands international’s jersey is also now available in the online fan shop.
With his qualities as a playmaker, Veerman is expected to add another dimension to Borussia Dortmund in central midfield. At the same time, he brings with him a wealth of experience from his time at PSV, including eight titles, which is expected to provide additional stability within the BVB setup.Mats-Yannick Roth
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.