Kovac praises Veerman after five straight Dortmund starts

Joey Veerman has established himself as a regular under Kovac at Dortmund after initially moving between the starting line-up and the bench. The 27-year-old Dutchman has started each of the club’s past five matches and received lengthy praise from his coach before Saturday’s game against Elversberg.

Kovac said Veerman needed time to settle because the tempo in Germany is considerably more intense than in the Netherlands, particularly when teams are defending. However, he believes Veerman’s ability in possession already places him among the Bundesliga’s best, with the coach especially impressed by the simplicity of his play.

The Dortmund coach also credited Veerman with making progress when his team do not have the ball. In possession, his task is to help begin attacks from deep. Kovac said the central defenders trust Veerman, regularly look for him and benefit from his positioning, which allows him to move the ball forward quickly over distance.

“He is a very intelligent player,” Kovac told Voetbal International. The coach added that Veerman anticipates solutions before receiving the ball, enabling him to make decisions at high speed. Kovac believes Dortmund are benefiting significantly from his presence, pointing to greater control over matches than the team had last season.