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Despite the fact that Everton’s new signing Leroy Fer has been described in some quarters as “the new Patrick Vieira”, the most similar type of player to the Dutchman is current Toffees icon Marouane Fellaini. Both have good physical presence, dynamic box-to-box energy and can play anywhere from full-back to secondary striker.
Fellaini made his debut in professional football with Belgian giants Standard Liege, being deployed as a defensive midfielder, though he was also often used by then-Les Rouches coach Michel Preud’Homme as a central defender. Once he became a regular, the Belgian talent slowly developed into an all-round midfielder, until Everton manager David Moyes moved him even further forward, deploying him as a shadow striker.
Fer’s career path has been similar so far. In the 2007/08 season, he took his first steps into Feyenoord’s starting line-up as a right-back, or defensive midfielder. One season later however, coach Gertjan Verbeek positioned Fer as a central attacking midfielder in a 4-3-3 system, then his successor Mario Been pulled him back to more defensive duties.
While under Been, Feyenoord had a disappointing season and finished tenth, Fer was one of the few not criticised by fans or the Dutch media. His versatility, fighting spirit and tactical awareness made him a key man for the Rotterdam side. At the time, then-captain Giovanni van Bronckhorst stated that Fer was “indispensable” to Feyenoord and, at the age of just 19, he was named club vice-captain.
In the summer of 2011, Fer left De Kuip after 12 years with Feyenoord and more than 100 appearances for the first team. His destination was FC Twente, who splashed out €5.5M to secure his services. The midfielder explained he had chosen the Tukkers to play regular European football. Fer’s first few months in Enschede were unimpressive however, mainly due to a clash – especially on tactical issues – with coach Co Adriaanse.
Things improved for Fer with the coming of former England boss Steve McClaren and even though Twente couldn’t manage better than a sixth-place finish, the midfielder enjoyed his best goalscoring campaign so far, hitting the back of the net eleven times. Just like his new team-mate Fellaini, Fer showed great aerial ability and timing to meet the ball first from goal-kicks and long-kicks. Last September, he underwent surgery for damage to his left knee after taking a knock during Holland’s 2-0 home defeat of Turkey in a 2014 World Cup qualifier. It was Fer’s second cap after a friendly played against the Ukraine under Bert van Marwijk on 11th August, 2010.
Fer’s roots lie in Curacao. His grandfather was an amateur footballer in the country, while his father was a baseball player and a musician in a brass band. The midfielder, though born and raised in Zoetermeer, south Holland, is still connected to his parents’ homeland and mulled for a long time over whether to represent the Oranje or Curacao on the international stage. “It was my heart versus my head”, explained Fer. “I go to the Netherlands Antilles twice a year to see my grandparents, I have a lot of friends there and I feel at home. My father is my idol and his story is an example for all Antillean people. He came to Holland and started to work as a fireman, now he is the chief of the security service of Rotterdam Haven District. If you always do your best, you finally make it.”
The midfielder did his best to get into Feyenoord’s academy, the most productive youth system in Holland, alongside Ajax’s. Since 2005, the Dutch club have generated almost €30M by selling homegrown players such as Royston Drenthe, Luc Castaignos, Georginio Wijnaldum, Glenn Lovvens and Jerson Cabral. With the latter, Fer became Under-17 Dutch champions in the 2005/06 season. Fifteen of that squad have become professionals, while seven are currently internationals (Fer, Jordy Clasie, Jeffrey Bruma, Kostas Lamprou) or in the Under-21s (Cabral, Kelvin Leerdam, Rajiv van la Parra).
Everton will soon discover that they have signed more than just a physical enforcer.
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