Kees Smit admits rushed comeback after returning for AZ against Juventus
The AZ midfielder says his eagerness to help Jong Oranje contributed to another spell on the sidelines and caused him to miss major domestic fixtures.
Kees Smit has acknowledged that he returned from injury too quickly after making his latest comeback in AZ’s 2-1 Europa League defeat by Juventus. The attacking midfielder entered in the 62nd minute as coach Leeroy Echteld looked for a response from his side.
“I actually came back a little too quickly,” Smit said in comments carried by Voetbalzone. He admitted that he should have been more honest with himself and AZ’s medical staff, explaining that his desire to play as often as possible can become a weakness.
Smit had previously recovered from a groin problem before joining Jong Oranje. He started the goalless draw with Norway and the 4-2 victory over Slovenia, contributing a goal and an assist in the latter match. However, another injury kept him out of the game against Bosnia and Herzegovina in which the Dutch under-21 side secured European Championship qualification. He then spent a month out and said he remained frustrated about missing AZ’s matches against Feyenoord and Ajax.
His introduction, together with fellow substitute Elijah Dijkstra, helped AZ threaten Juventus more regularly late on. Echteld praised the impact of his replacements but felt the improvement had already begun after half-time. The coach said AZ needed greater maturity in the opening period, while taking encouragement from the way his team eventually showed it could compete with the Italian side.
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