Sunderland beat Ajax, Napoli and Lille to land £11.5m-rated Robin Roefs in dramatic transfer coup
Robin Roefs’ former goalkeeping coach Marco van Duin has backed the 22-year-old to thrive in English football – and even tipped him to become the future No 1 for the Netherlands.
The NEC Nijmegen stopper completed a £11.5million move to Sunderland this summer following a breakout season in the Eredivisie. Roefs, who kept 10 clean sheets and prevented more goals than any other keeper in the division last term, has been signed to compete with Anthony Patterson in the Premier League under Régis Le Bris.
Speaking about his former player’s transfer, Van Duin revealed Roefs had been attracting significant attention across Europe.
‘I always thought Ajax should have signed him’
“We've been in touch in recent weeks, yes,” Van Duin said. “He's spoken to several clubs. He's spoken to Napoli, Lille, and Ajax, of course. I thought he was a true Ajax goalkeeper. I saw him play there, and if I were Ajax, I would have always signed him.”
Roefs was born in the Netherlands and came through NEC’s youth ranks after joining the club from local side VV Heeswijk in 2014. Despite limited top-flight experience, his performances over the past year have earned widespread praise – and Van Duin believes the Black Cats are landing a serious long-term prospect.
Sunderland move ‘a good step’ – if the plan is right
Much of the discussion surrounding Roefs’ arrival at the Stadium of Light has centred around how the Dutchman will be integrated. Anthony Patterson remains the club’s first-choice goalkeeper and is expected to start the Premier League campaign against West Ham on August 16 – but Van Duin doesn’t believe Roefs needs to be handed the No 1 shirt immediately.
“I hope they have a good plan for him,” he said. “Then it doesn't really matter whether you start as a first-choice or second-choice. As a first-choice keeper, you naturally develop even faster. He could also sit on the bench for another year and start a few League Cup matches.”
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Van Duin added: “I think he is the future goalkeeper of the Dutch national team. That's his vision. So this is a very good step, but again, I don't know what the plan is. I do think he's thought it through carefully, and if the plan is good, he'll thrive at any level.”
Elite traits and the long-term vision
Roefs ranked in the 99th percentile for crosses stopped across Europe last season and was named in Scouted Football’s Team of the Tournament at the U21 Euros. Sunderland beat competition from Lille and Ajax to seal his signature, and Van Duin’s belief in the keeper’s potential will only add to the excitement on Wearside.
With the likes of Reinildo, Simon Adingra, Chemsdine Talbi, Granit Xhaka and Habib Diarra already signed, Roefs’ arrival represents another statement of intent from Sunderland’s recruitment team as they prepare for their Premier League return.
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