Yoell van Nieff narrates how his hunt for adventure landed him at Mumbai City FC

"For me, even joining Mumbai City FC was kind of an adventure and I’m always looking for new challenges," Yoell van Nieff grinned. "That’s kind of the person I am."

Well, his latest escapade with the Islanders, wasn't just going to be a challenge for Yoell but even his wife. The couple had a daughter less than three months back. Joining the Indian Super League (ISL) outfit would mean leaving behind their home continent Europe for the first time.

It's a bit of a gamble if you ask anyone. But that's how Yoell has been. Despite being a regular for his club in Eredivisie, the Dutch top-tier league, the defensive midfielder decided to abandon the monotony and shift base to Hungary. It's not just the adrenaline rush. It's not that shallow. During the free-flowing chat with Sportskeeda, the Groningen-born's perpetual hunger for experiencing different cultures became seemingly evident.

"I feel we have the time now to go on adventures and even get the best out of me, I guess," Yoell van Nieff explained.

Having recently turned 30, it's a fair argument for the Dutch international to say the time is now. That may also be the standpoint with which Mumbai City approached his signing. With Ahmed Jahouh, one of the old guards at the club, bidding farewell after last season, it made sense for Des Buckingham to lure in the services of Yoell.

Honing his skills at the reputed FC Groningen Academy and then making his Eredivisie debut at the age of 19, Yoell has been around for a while. His spell with Puskas Akademia also turned out to be fruitful as he himself asserted during the interview.

Hence, for the Islanders, his signing doesn't look like much of an 'adventure' but more of a calculated decision to take a bet on a human sponge who has been on a crusade to soak in all the good from varied footballing cultures.

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Excerpts from the interview with Mumbai City FC midfielder Yoell van Nieff

In the exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, Yoell van Nieff opened up about his time with FC Groningen, his style of play, discussions with Des Buckingham, and finally, the 'Mumbai City FC is the best club in India' comments.

Question: Firstly Yoell, welcome to the ISL. I’m guessing you’re still settling in at Mumbai City FC, but how has your time with the club and the management been so far?

Yoell van Nieff: The first few days were a bit hectic as I landed in Mumbai at night and couldn’t get so much sleep. The next day I had to do some medical checks and afterwards, I was just in my hotel, with my agent. In the evening we had the event for the new crest launch.

The day after I got a chance to meet all the people of Mumbai City and I really had a warm welcome. Everyone opened up to me and helped me right away, so it was easy to feel at home and become part of the family. And the next day we moved to Thailand for the training camp. Till now everything has been going well and I really appreciate it.

Q: A pretty standard question maybe but what attracted you to this Mumbai City FC project?

Yoell: So when they contacted my agent and once I was made aware that Mumbai City were interested in having me at the club, I started doing some research about them and saw how they played last year. For me, it was also an opportunity to play in Asia. That’s what I wanted too, to experience a new culture and have an adventure as well.

I saw how they wanted to play football and that aligned with my vision as well. So honestly, it wasn’t really hard to make the decision.

Q: How has the conversation with Des Buckingham been like? Anything he told you in particular before or during the transfer that got you interested?

Yoell: Yes, I did have a conversation with the head coach, because it’s a big step, you know to go from Europe to Asia! He was really clear about my role and my position at the club. The way the club wants to play is similar to how I look at football. Overall, the feeling was very good and it made my decision to join MCFC easier.

Q: I don’t know if you’re aware, Yoell, but you’ve already ruffled a few feathers of the opposition fans when you called Mumbai City FC the “biggest club in India.” If you could tell me a little bit more about what made you feel that way!

Yoell: Well, I am aware. I saw on Instagram as well, some people were really offended. But it was never my intention of course. For me, it was just about how the team performed last year, broke some records, and even the brand of football they played. So from that point of view, I said they are the biggest club in India.

Q: Before I delve deep into your career, for any fan who might be unaware of what to expect of you or what kind of footballer you are, how would describe yourself and your playing style to them?

Yoell: I am a player who wants to have the ball, my qualities are passing and vision. I always give my hundred percent and that’s something I hope people can recognize me by.

I am a defensive midfielder so I can be aggressive on the ball and to make a foul is a bit common for me because sometimes I want to cancel the opposition attack. Might take a few yellow cards while doing that (laughs). It’s not like in a dirty way, because I always want to intercept the ball.

Q: And you can also score some stunning goals if required…

Yoell: [Laughs] Yes, yes I can also do that. Score some goals!

Q: Yoell, when you come into any new club there are always a ton of expectations but when you’re joining a club that had a record-breaking season last year, there’s plenty of big boots to fill. How do you look at all these expectations that the club and fans have for you?

Yoell: I think as a football player, you always have pressure. So this is nothing new. While from another standpoint, it’s a new challenge for all of us. You always have to be hungry to get more and be as good as possible. All of us, especially me, need to give our 100 percent and less is not good enough.

We need to build on how it was last year and try to give more. Because to come there is easier than staying there. Of course, there will be challenges, it’s gonna be hard to get the same achievements and playing style.

Q: I wanted to talk a little bit about your professional career so far. Yoell, if you could take us through your time at Groningen and the Eredivisie and how it shaped you as a player?

Yoell: So I broke into the first team quite early in my career. As a young player when you come into the first team, you really have to become an adult quickly, let’s say. I had to move out of my parent’s house when I was 20, and then I started living by myself, taking care of myself. So you have to improve yourself a lot.

I was lucky to play with some great players and of course, you learn from them. Even the coaches we had and the kind of football we played at Groningen, helped a lot and made me the player I am today. But it still never gets easier.

Q: The Groningen youth academy is known across the globe for producing and nurturing some of the finest footballing talents the world has known. Be it Ronald Koeman, Arjen Robben, Virgil Van Dijk, or even Dusan Tadic. You’ve spent a considerable amount of time at the academy, could you tell us what makes it a breeding ground for such world-class talents?

Yoell: Firstly, we have really good coaches over there. Also, the philosophy of the club is deeply ingrained even at the youth level. How the first team wants to play, the rest of the academy follows as well. Everyone at the club wants to improve the players.

Also, sometimes you have to get some luck with the players as well. For instance, Groningen is in the north of the Netherlands but the south, where Ajax is from, has so many more players available to them. But yeah, at the end of the day, a lot of it depends on how the club manage the players.

Q: Yoell, in an interview you revealed that you wanted to leave the Netherlands because you wanted to experience a different culture. Could you talk about this a little more and how much of that influenced your decision to join Mumbai City FC?

Yoell: I think it was five years ago when I said that I wanted to leave the Netherlands. By then, I had already played for seven years in the first division of Holland. I had played in almost every stadium in the country and knew the culture well. So I wanted to see a different football culture or a different vision of football. I think you get more experience through this and as a football player, I felt it was always important to have a different outlook on the game.

Even Mumbai is kind of an adventure and I’m always looking for new challenges, that’s kind of the person I am. I just had a daughter and she’s only 11 weeks old. So I’m happy that my wife decided to join me in this journey, because if she didn’t, then maybe I couldn’t have made this step. I feel we have the time now to go on adventures and even get the best out of me, I guess. This is a really good step to do it. We’ll really want to enjoy this and also learn from this experience.

Q: After Eredevisie you joined Puskas Akademia. How was Hungary and the footballing culture there? And how different was the football there on a technical level when compared to the Netherlands?

Yoell: What I saw was a bit more direct football compared to Holland, where it was a bit more structured. Whenever there’s a bit of pressure from the opponent during the game, in Holland, we still try to pass around. But in Hungary, as I said, it’s direct, so it isn’t strange to play a long ball when under pressure or fight for the second ball. But it was a good experience as well!

Q: Do you think this experience of playing outside your native country, in a very contrasting footballing culture, helped you grow as a footballer more?

Yoell: Yeah, I think so. It’s always good to experience new things. I try to pick the good from everything I see or learn and that applies to football too.

Q: Final few questions, Yoell, growing up, who was the footballer that you looked up to?

Yoell: Growing up, I looked up to David Beckham at the very beginning. Then there were Iniesta and Ronaldinho. You know, I don’t have the tricks like Ronaldinho, but the way he played and enjoyed the game, everyone was looking up to him. He made it look so easy.

I was a huge fan of Barcelona at that time with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Ronaldinho, and Messi.

Q: Finally, the AFC Champions League - how are you looking at this opportunity personally and talking to the players and the staff, is everyone’s eye fixed on that tournament?

Yoell: I think we all are looking forward to participating in the Champions League as well. The training sessions, in my opinion, aren’t any different but the excitement is there. But first, we need to focus on the Durand Cup and take it step by step. I just can’t wait to pair up with all my teammates.