He is the odd duck in Amsterdam’s hall selection. The only ‘mercenary’, who has been playing at Laren all his life. This winter Thomas Selles opted for an adventure outside the door for the first time. And that pleased the 23-year-old defender so well that he dreams of a longer stay in the capital. ‘I’m not ruling out a transfer.’
‘After our relegation with Laren last year, I wanted to keep playing Hoofdklasse Zaal. Amsterdam has always done nice in the past and often made the playoffs. When we played against Amsterdam with Laren last year, I thought they were a nice, young team. Besides, they have Teun Rohof as coach and he was a right back like me. I could learn something from them, I thought,’ Selles told me – freshly showered after Amsterdam’s double win last Sunday afternoon.
So he wanted to learn from that indoor hockey icon. So Selles sounded the alarm with Rohof as early as last October. ‘Whether he could join us,’ the former international reflected on the phone call. ‘Siem Schoenaker wanted to rehab from his injured knee this winter, so he dropped out. With that, Thomas was an ideal candidate. Last year we lost heavily to Laren in the hall, where he made the most insane actions in front of me as right back. Moreover, he has a mega-corner and you can see that he has indoor genes. One glance is enough for him to know what to do. So we welcomed him with open arms.’
Amsterdam coach Teun Rohof did not have to hesitate for long when Selles reported to him. Photo: Willem Vernes
In the deep end
Upon his entrance at Amsterdam, Selles was immediately thrown into the deep end. ‘In November I was allowed to report and we went straight to Düsseldorf for a practice placement. I didn’t know anyone, but after that I knew where I stood. That there were serious goals, namely making it to the playoffs. That also meant training hard and playing a lot of practice matches. An extra step and with more focus compared to what I was used to at Laren.’
And Selles likes that. ‘I haven’t regretted it for a second. The group is indeed nice, we are performing better and better and Teun teaches me certain details in the game and he puts the team very well and clearly. My teammates at Laren also granted it to me. They know that I enjoy the game and understood that I wanted to go higher this winter. I certainly follow them and am kept up to date via the app, but my focus is of course on Amsterdam. Especially now that we are second and making the playoffs is a real possibility.’
Thanks to his penalty corner, Thomas Selles is Amsterdam’s top scorer. Photo: Willem Vernes
In the footsteps of Burkhardt and Sweering
In previous years, players like Boris Burkhardt and Max Sweering were tastemakers for Amsterdam. They will not be there this season. Burkhardt opted to participate in the Hockey India League. Sweering participates in the Topklasse with his own (field) club SCHC.
Selles: ‘On the one hand of course I had hoped that they were there to have an even better team. On the other hand it also gives opportunities for a lot of playing time to players like me. I think we are absorbing it well. Are there enough who can score.’ One of those goalgetters within Amsterdam’s selection is Selles himself. With his penalty corner, he even tops his team’s top scorer list, with eight goals from as many games.
Thomas Selles chases Voordaan striker Hidde Plantenga. Photo: Willem Vernes
The former youth international – who went through all selections up to and including the Dutch Junior Team – radiates calmness and composure. On the face of it, he doesn’t let anything fool him. ‘That is also how I feel. I usually don’t suffer much from pressure and don’t get excited easily. That was already the case in youth. With Laren we played all the NK finals from the D’s onwards. That taught me to deal with tension.’
Back to the big league?
Rohof, who became a father last Sunday and already coached with great enthusiasm last weekend, was full of praise for Selles and the progression that the newest addition from Amsterdam is making. ‘In a short time he is growing enormously in his game. In the beginning, as a rookie, he played quiet balls up and down the court. But now he is the one who wins games with his goals. He has enforced that by always being there and taking in everything we do. Such a player who is there for your team is very nice to have.’
A logical next step would also be to swap his Laren shirt for Amsterdam’s on the vel d. Now that he has set foot across the threshold, the defender does not rule out this scenario. ‘I am really enjoying myself. In any case, I want to return to the big league. Playing at the highest level is the coolest. We will do everything we can with Laren in the second half of the season to achieve that. After that I will see what happens next. So far I have not been approached, but perhaps such an indoor period will help to put me in the spotlight. As long as I keep making minutes, I don’t want to sit on the sidelines as the eighteenth man.’
In any case, Rohof is positive about a possible arrival of Selles. ‘He fits well in the group, is doing a nice job and there are always opportunities for new players. I won’t go it alone, but certainly won’t say no if he comes to train with us this summer.’
by Hockey.nl
