Dutch soccer legend Van der Vaart recently heated up about the future potential of Feyenoord midfielder Quinten Timberlake, outspokenly praising the young talent. He revealed that Timberlake is well qualified to join top clubs such as Arsenal and AC Milan.
However, van der Vaart also made a thought-provoking point, noting that the burden of Timbert's captaincy has perhaps somewhat diminished his freedom on the field. He explained, "I'm always tongue-in-cheek, but Quinten Timberlake does have what it takes to make it at a top club. It's just that, as captain, he has to deal with quite a lot of hassle, which might affect his competitive performance."
Van der Vaart has further elevated his opinion of Timberlake, stating that he is one of the brightest performers in the Feyenoord squad and that is why he has been given the captaincy. While he doesn't see Timberlake as a leader in the traditional sense, he does have his own unique style and exceptional talent.
Talking about Timberlake's performance under the captaincy, Van der Vaart said that Timberlake can only show a more relaxed and comfortable form when he is off the captain's armband. And once he shouldered the captaincy, the pressure and responsibility seemed to make him look a bit restrained, and might even hinder him from joining the giants.
Van der Vaart concludes with an example of the complexity of captaincy duties from his own personal experience, "As captain, you have to deal with all the chores, some of which may not be to your liking. I've been a bad captain in the past and I know the challenges that Timberlake faces. Perhaps, he is not suited to captaincy so that he can be freer to realize his potential."
