Van Ginkel captained Vitesse 24 times last season, arguably in one of the most eventful years in the club’s history. The club, where he climbed through the youth ranks and made his professional debut, was relegated and faced an existential crisis.
As their captain, Van Ginkel tried to help the team in the best possible way. “The pressure I experienced at Vitesse last season was very different from what I had been through at the bigger clubs I played for. There, it was about winning and losing on the pitch. Now, it was about so many factors beyond your control. As captain, you try to support the boys. Everyone is very focused on themselves. The atmosphere is naturally not good when you lose six games in a row. You try to take responsibility, but you get a lot thrown at you. You learn a lot from that too.”
Lessons for his next adventure at a club where Van Ginkel, as an experienced player, will undoubtedly once again play a role as one of the leaders.
Infection
He fought long and hard for that next adventure during his recent period without a club. Unbeknownst to passersby, they could see an eight-time international, who won the league twice with PSV and played for Chelsea and AC Milan, training alone at De Valleivogels in Scherpenzeel. At the club where it all began for him, he tried to keep himself in shape. In addition, he took up padel, a favourite sport of many (former) footballers, which has increasingly captivated him. It was one of the ways he kept his body active, waiting for a new club to come forward – potentially for what could be the last great chapter in his remarkable football career.
It’s an uncertain time, but Van Ginkel has faced bigger challenges during a career marked by injuries, but one that also brought him moments of glory. In 2019, he found himself in a hospital in Germany when a dangerous infection left him fearing he might never walk properly again. Three surgeries in five days over the Christmas period saved his knee. Only ultra-positive people like Marco van Ginkel can overcome such psychological low points.