His very first trip with the Dutch national team was one to remember for Pepijn van der Heijden. Last week, the 21-year-old defender was one of the eye-catchers with the Dutch team in Australia during the Pro League with three hit penalty corners. And that while he has been with Jeroen Delmée’s selection for less than six months.
‘With playing three internationals I would have been happy beforehand.’
The disbelief still rings in Pepijn van der Heijden’s voice a few days after his “Week of Fame. He is now home in his student dorm in Rotterdam, after a gigantic journey of some 25 hours. From Sydney, he arrived back in the country via Hong Kong. About three weeks earlier, the talent left with three caps in his pocket. He collected those in December during the first Pro League block. There he had to beat Jip Janssen, the undisputed cornering king of the Dutch national team, every game.
Janssen was missing in Australia, as he participated in the Hockey India League. That created opportunities for Van der Heijden. In the first game with Spain, he shared his spot up top with Timo Boers and could only touch down once. But in the two games Van der Heijden played after that – again against Spain and then Australia – he was the first choice.
Van der Heijden also walked away cheering after the 4-4 against Australia. Photo: Worldsportpics/Craig Clifford
The most important shooter, on the other side of the world
And he seized that opportunity with both hands. Against Spain, he hit the mark after only two minutes. ‘It is very special that you get that responsibility,’ Van der Heijden stated. That already gave a special feeling. In the warm-up it also went well. Before we had even started properly, we got two corners. The first was not stopped properly and led to the second, which went straight in. I don’t even remember what I did exactly. I was mostly very happy. I had been dreaming of this for years. And then it works out on the other side of the world.’
Extra special: it was the Orange’s first direct corner in twenty games. 48 hours after that feat, Van der Heijden made his first foreign adventure with the Olympic champion truly unforgettable. At the hand of the Rotterdam talent, the Netherlands battled back from a 4-1 deficit against Australia to 4-4 in the final quarter. In that chaotic final phase, he pushed twice. ‘I had already had quite a few chances,’ he said self-critically. ‘Especially in that last quarter we got a lot of corner kicks. Of course it was brilliant for me to make the 4-4, at the end of such a catch-up race. Something did come off. I knew beforehand that I could push. But that it would end like this is unique.
So Van der Heijden – second choice at his club behind club icon Jeroen Hertzberger – put himself beautifully on the map. His performance naturally caught the attention of the home front. ‘The emails and DMs poured in. If you score with the Dutch national team, apparently it attracts just a bit more attention than when you score with your club. The best were the messages from my parents, who have always played hockey and coached. They always took me everywhere. Followed everything. Always came to watch – if possible. Australia was just a little too far. But I’m sure they saw everything. Sometimes while they were working, they were watching along on their phone, which was next to the laptop.
Van der Heijden is hugged by teammate Steijn van Heijningen. Photo: Worldsportpics/Craig Clifford
From the Opera House to exams
Van der Heijden joined the Dutch national team in September. So the Australia block was his first foreign adventure with the Orange. ‘Not an unpleasant first trip,’ the cornerman realizes. ‘Apart from the field hockey, it was also very cool to be there. We had an afternoon off in Sydney and went into the city center with some guests. Of course we went by the Opera House. A building that you have to check off if you are near there. I only knew it from TV, from the fireworks on New Year’s Day.’
Van der Heijden does not have a lot of time to enjoy that. ‘We’re getting back on the field with Rotterdam. I haven’t studied in the past few weeks, but next week I have ‘just’ another exam. Ordinary life starts again, although I won’t forget this easily.’
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by Hockey.nl
