Ola John returned to the Dutch fields in the past transfer period with his move to RKC Waalwijk. His former trainer with FC Twente, Steve McClaren, had expected more from the swift wing attacker.
“It disappoints me,” McClaren begins in conversation TC/Tubantia. The surprise at the English coach is great. “Ola John at RKC? How is that possible? I don’t understand. How old is he now? 28 just? What happened to him?”
McClaren fondly thinks back to his time as trainer of the club from Enschede. “We had a wonderful attack with guys like Nacer Chadli, Luuk de Jong and Ola John.” The Englishman worked with John for six months. “Ola reminded me of Eljero Elia. His potential was enormous, that boy was top, top, top. And he was a ‘nice boy’, never got into trouble. I also remember great goals against PSV and Bucharest.”
John was eventually sold to the Portuguese Benfica for about nine million euros, but the attacker actually did not want to leave at all. But Twente simply needed money. “Twente had to sell”, McClaren recalls. “But he was sold too early, he was not ready to go. In Twente the environment was perfect for him. I find it unfortunate that it turned out this way and I am disappointed that it did not work out. Ola should have reached the top . “
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