IT’S not quite Beethoven teaching a toddler how to play the keyboard, but as far as striker coaches go Kevin van Veen had a good one.
For “two or three years” – the Dutchman can’t remember exactly – he learned his trade in PSV’s youth system under Ruud van Nistelrooy, spending more hours than he cares to count putting the ball into the back of the net. A league winner in England and Spain, top-scorer in the Champions League on three occasions, and UEFA forward of the year in 2003, Van Nistelrooy’s pedigree speaks for itself.
While they don’t have any contact now, Van Veen does continue to have a particularly keen interest in the former Dutch international’s fortunes. A PSV fan, the Motherwell striker never misses a game, and admits to being impressed by how quickly Van Nistelrooy – in his first major role – has taken to life in the dugout.
No more so than last week when, hidden among the 50,000, Van Veen saw in the flesh just how dangerous PSV could be to Rangers’ Champions League ambitions.
“I am a PSV fan and I will be supporting PSV this week,” the 31-year-old said. “100 per cent. It’s my club.
“I played there in the academy and I was there for nine years. I follow them everywhere.
“Obviously I can’t go to every game but I watch every single game and hopefully PSV win the game. I went to the first game at Ibrox and I thought PSV were slightly better.
“They will be the favourites at home. Their keeper [a reference to Walter Benetiz’s slapstick attempt to keep Tom Lawrence’s dipping shot out] helped Rangers get a draw. But I do think PSV will win at home.”
A common discussion point in the wake of that 2-2 draw has been how much Giovanni van Bronckhorst – a former team-mate of Van Nistelrooy’s – and his Rangers team will miss home advantage in the return leg. For only the second time this year (Red Star Belgrade being the other), they’ll have to fend off a vociferous, angry home support if they are to make it to the next stage.
History suggests that won’t be easy. The sway of Ibrox has proven too much for SC Braga, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and SG Union to handle in recent months. Van Veen knows that as well as anyone – but he suspects PSV’s 35,000 capacity Philips Stadion could have the same effect.
“The atmosphere will be good,” Van Veen said. “Ibrox was bouncing the other night. The atmosphere was really good last week and when Motherwell played them.
“And watching them in Europe last season it was amazing. But PSV’s stadium is very enjoyable as well. It will be busy, packed and noisy with a good atmosphere and I am looking forward to the second leg.”
The general consensus is that a draw was a fair result in Glasgow, but Van Veen points to several missed chances by young winger Ismael Saibari that could have easily seen the Dutch side hold an unassailable lead.
Van Veen – who himself has scored three goals in his last four games – appreciates a large, robust, goal-scoring striker as well as anyone, and he suspects Luuk de Jong won’t be marshalled quite as well as he was last week.
“There is some talent in the PSV team and the main man Luuk de Jong was not as good as he normally is,” he said. “I thought the two Rangers centre-backs dealt really well with him.
“But normally he is an important player for PSV and I expect him to be better in the second leg and that PSV win the game and go through.”
Another man who Rangers will have to keep a close eye on is Cody Gakpo. His influence certainly grew as the game wore on last week – stifling James Tavernier’s at the same time – and Van Veen expects him to be as equally impressive again.
“He is a at a different level, technically,” he said. “I think they will do well to keep hold of him. They have already said if they don’t make the Champions League he will definitely go. He will be looking to move on but I hope he stays.”
