Dortmund coach Niko Kovac talks about Joey Veerman for several minutes and reaches a clear conclusion: ‘He is…’

At a press conference on Friday, Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac discussed Joey Veerman's performances in detail.

Veerman joined Dortmund from PSV last summer for €22 million. The playmaker took time to adapt but has started the last few matches.

"The pace here in the Bundesliga is much more intense than in the Netherlands," Kovac said at the press conference ahead of Dortmund's league match against SV Elversberg. "Defending here is also much more intense, and there is more of it than in the Netherlands."

With playing styles so different in the Netherlands and Germany, Kovac believes Veerman is now 'right at the top' when in possession. "In the Netherlands, much more value is placed on playing football," he explained.

"What I like so much about Joey on the ball is simply his simplicity. That simplicity is where the difficulty lies, but also the beauty. You don't need to play backheels or do other complicated things, because he has to try to move the play from back to front."

"He does that very well, of course in combination with the team-mates around him," Kovac said. "But you can see that the central defenders in particular have a lot of confidence in him. They keep looking for him. He repeatedly positions himself very well, with excellent body shape, so that he can move the play forward quickly or

switch the play."

For Kovac, Veerman's move to Dortmund has so far been a resounding success. "He is a very intelligent player who thinks ahead. He doesn't wait until he has the ball to try to find a solution; he already has one ready before he receives it. That means his decision-making is lightning-fast. That benefits not only him, but above all the team."