New Brighton midfielder Mats Wieffer is “not the player who attracts the most attention” but he had “a big role” in Feyenoord’s title-winning season.
The 24-year-old has joined the Seagulls in a deal until 2029 and has cost the club a reported 30m euros (£25.4m).
Wieffer came through the FC Twente academy in the Netherlands before dropping down to the second division for two seasons with Excelsior.
In 2022, he joined Feyenoord, who were managed by new Liverpool boss Arne Slot, and scored nine goals while contributing 11 assists in 79 games across two seasons.
“Feyenoord took a gamble to take him for half a million euros and, after half a year struggling with some kind of injury, he came in the team and gave them great balance immediately,” Dutch football writer Lentin Goodijk told BBC Radio Sussex.
“They won the league for only the second time this century. It was a big moment and he had a big role in it.
“He’s not the player who attracts the most attention but does his role well. Arne Slot really worked with him and developed him physically.
“He can run a lot. He is winning a lot of duels – I think he had most times for possession won in the Eredivisie last season, so not just good at tackles but reading the play and winning those balls. He really played very well in the Champions League and controlled as the number six for Feyenoord.
“Wieffer really loves to get the information [from his coach] and can really channel it and do everything he gets told, which is another quality of course.
“Arne Slot was really proud of his development.”
Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds
Mats Wieffer,Arne Slot,Feyenoord,Seagulls
