Mitchell Dijks surprises with statement about life as a professional in Vietnam

Mitchell Dijks is strikingly candid on ESPN's Transfer Deadline Show. The wing-back admits he piled on a significant amount of weight during his spell at Nam Dinh FC in Vietnam.

"I was testing my fitness. But that did not go entirely well. I weighed 104 kilos. When I am fit, I normally weigh 92 kilos. There were quite a few kilos on me," reveals Dijks, who is currently without a club.

Presenter Milan van Dongen can hardly believe it and thinks Dijks is winding him up. "No, it is serious. I really was quite chubby," said the former left-back of, among others, Ajax, Vitesse and Fortuna Sittard.

Hans Kraay junior is just as surprised and asks what exactly Dijks was doing in Vietnam. "The intensity there is all a bit lower. But you simply eat good pasta there. And then during matches you only run seven kilometres."

On social media, plenty of users were stunned by Dijks' remarks. "Funny, man, a player throwing away his own career," sighs someone on X. De Telegraaf reporter Jeroen Kapteijns also has his doubts. "It is honest and sincere, but is this really the most sensible interview when you are looking for a club?"

Now 33, Dijks is hoping for a new Asian adventure. The defender does not necessarily want to return to the Netherlands.