Jayden Oosterwolde Shares His Future Plans in Exclusive ESPN Interview
Jayden Oosterwolde, who ended his season with an ACL injury, gave an interview to the Dutch press. The 23-year-old Fenerbahçe star made a striking admission about his future at the club.
Fenerbahçe’s left-back suffered an ACL injury during the Samsunspor match, effectively ruling him out for the season. Speaking to ESPN, Oosterwolde revealed his plans to leave the club. Here’s what the young star had to say:
TORN ACL
“We were playing away against Samsunspor. The right-back played a deep ball, and I managed to stop him. But I stepped wrong and felt something snap in my knee. At first, I didn’t fear the worst. After the MRI scan, when the doctor said it was an ACL tear, it hit me hard. It’s bad news.”
“NO RUSH TO RECOVER”
“I’m not rushing anything, but I think I need to recover properly. Completely pain-free. You see players like Militao at Real Madrid come back too quickly and then injure their other ACL. I don’t want that. I’ll recover well. I’m still young, and I have plenty of time to prove myself.”
FUTURE PLANS
“After the injury, everything came to a halt. My plan was to showcase my skills this season and move on. That’s off the table now. I need to deal with it. Everything will fall into place.”
MOURINHO
“Mourinho is simply a great coach. Both tactically and as a person, he’s excellent. The way he treats his players? He jokes a lot but can also be very serious. People say overly tactical coaches often struggle to connect with their players, but he manages both perfectly.”
MOURINHO’S RED CARD
“He was furious at the referee for awarding the penalty (Lille match). He just told me, ‘Keep your head up and move on.’ I’ve played regularly under Mourinho and was never benched. I think that says a lot.”
“I MISS ISTANBUL”
“Honestly, I can say I miss Istanbul. It’s an incredible city. But in situations like this, you need to be with your family for rehabilitation. You have to be around people who can support you. That’s why most of my rehab will be in the Netherlands. The initial phase will definitely happen here. Later, we’ll discuss things with the club again.”
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TURKEY AND THE NETHERLANDS
“This is a wonderful place. The weather is great, and there are so many fun things to do outside of football. The people are amazing. In Istanbul, you’re treated like a Ronaldo. I can’t walk down the street without people wanting pictures, hugs, or conversations. In the Netherlands, only a few people recognize me. In Istanbul, it’s constant. Sometimes you miss your privacy, but there’s so much to do that it doesn’t bother you.”
“In the Dutch league, there are younger players, while in Turkey, the players are older. As a young player, you have to protect yourself there, especially against the fans. You know how it is in Turkey—objects are thrown onto the field. You can’t respond, but expressing it on the pitch is enough.”
INCIDENTS IN THE TRABZONSPOR MATCH
“In the Dutch media, it’s as if I was the bad guy… We won a match against our rivals, and suddenly, a hundred people with sticks, knives, and corner flags ran onto the field to harm us. If you saw the moment I kicked someone to protect my teammates. Later, the story in the Netherlands became ‘Jayden Oosterwolde did this.’ It’s embarrassing.”
“Dutch people don’t see what actually happens, but I’m over it. I don’t care what others think of me. In Turkey, fans admired me. I stand up for my teammates and the people around me. Experiencing it isn’t fun, but it’s a lesson to learn from.”
LEGAL CASE AFTER TRABZONSPOR MATCH
“It’s nonsense. There were reports here, but in Turkey, it disappeared within 10 minutes. Everyone in Turkey is a journalist. Someone says something, and then someone in the Netherlands picks it up. It was all a lie. It’s not true, and I haven’t heard anything about it. I’m upset because it became news again in the Netherlands. But the club and Mourinho told me not to worry, that it’s ridiculous. You know it’s nonsense, so you let it go.”
TURKISH FOOTBALL ISN’T FAIR
“You have to be cautious. In Turkish football, not everything is fair for us, for Fenerbahçe. That’s the feeling we get. It’s been this way for years, even before I joined. The president wanted to make a change and withdrew us from the Super Cup. As players, you might regret missing a trophy opportunity, but you stand by the club and its decision. We accepted it as a team.”
DUSAN TADIC
“Dusan Tadic may not be the biggest name I’ve played with, but when you get to know him, you see how professional he is. He spends at least two hours in the gym every day. I have a great relationship with Tadic. He even drags me to the gym. If I don’t join him, he gets really mad. I can understand why he’s a big loss for Ajax.”
PARMA DAYS
“Gigi Buffon is a sweetheart, almost like a father figure. He helps young players. When I joined Parma, I didn’t speak Italian, and he explained everything to me in English. Once, I was five minutes late to training and had to buy dinner for the entire team and staff. But I was new to Parma, and the meal cost about 5,000 euros. I thought, ‘Well, this is my punishment.’ Then Gigi came over and slipped some money into my pocket. He’s a good man, no doubt. Gigi is the boss in Italy. Wherever we went, people came just for him. Everyone loves him. Now, it’s the same at Fenerbahçe. When Fenerbahçe travels, there’s chaos everywhere.”
FERDİ KADIOĞLU
“Ferdi is a top player. He played as a left-back, and I was a left-center-back. We were perfect together. He had a great European Championship. Do I think I can do the same? (Transfer) The answer is clear, yes.”
DUTCH NATIONAL TEAM
“The national team is what you play football for. It’s a dream. I’m in no rush. I need to make certain moves to get there. When the time comes, I’ll be ready.”
