Wolves fear for homesick Jelle van Damme
Wednesday 29th September 2010, 11:14AM BST.
Jelle van Damme today admitted his Wolves career could be on borrowed time after revealing he is struggling to settle in England.
The defender arrived at Molineux this summer in a £2.5m deal from Anderlecht on a three-year contract, but he has had to contend with a niggling ankle problem and is still to finish a game for Mick McCarthy’s men.
And speaking in an interview with his native Belgian press, the 26-year-old claims he is missing his homeland and has risked incurring the wrath of Wolves fans by claiming Anderlecht “will always be his club”.
“My adjustment is difficult, not sporting but socially,” said van Damme.
“My wife is still in Belgium and is expecting our second child in November. Even if they would be here, I miss the life I had in Belgium.
“Anderlecht in Belgium will always be my club.”
Reports in Belgium claim Anderlecht are considering a January loan move for van Damme.
Anderlecht general manager Herman van Holsbeeck claims the player is “unhappy in England” but insists they may be priced out of a move.
He said: “I hear Jelle is unhappy in England, but Wolverhampton paid 3m euros for him. Even if we would like to hire him in January. Wolverhampton does not give him to us for 2.5m francs.”
Van Damme hopes for a recall this Saturday at Wigan after being overlooked for Sunday’ defeat against Villa. He got his first 90 minutes of the season in Monday’s reserve game against Newcastle.
He added: “I was disappointed not to be involved. Saturday is the aim.”
Meanwhile, McCarthy today issued a ‘no panic’ message afterthree successive defeats that have seen them fall to fourth bottom.
“There’s no need to panic,” said McCarthy. “We got to this situation last season when we lost to Birmingham and there was a real panic. If we’d been outplayed then there could justifiably be some concerns. But there isn’t based on our performances.”
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Come on Jelle, we all love you here. Come down the pub and make some friends!
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Oh come on. This is really the last thing we needed for a player we gave a second chance to in the Premiership.
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He has a right to be unhappy as he has yet to deliver!
Signed as a left back but he cannot tackle and I guess he knows he will be playing second fiddle to Hunt soon
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Get rid in Jan and get our money back..
End of…
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Wow, apparently we don’t all love him here. I don’t think he’s put a foot wrong, myself. He tackles hard, puts in a good cross, gets forward well and looks a constant threat. If only he could get over his little niggly injuries I’d say he’s a shoe-in for one of the players of the season.
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GET RID!!!
If he doesn’t really want to play for the club get him out!!!
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If you pay peanuts you get monkeys – money wasted on him, Milijas, Halford, Moyokolo, Hunt, Zubar and Fletcher could have easily bought us 2 good centre backs.
Scott Dann and Roger Johnson spring to mind.
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Grow Up JVD!
I can’t be doing with this. It’s not as if he hasn’t been over to England before.
It’s not as if we are a backwater, third world country.
Some hard graft, that’s what’s needed. That’ll take his mind off it.
I bet some of those serving in Afghanistan or oil riggers away from home for months on end pine for home. But they’ll have far too much work to do to be able to wallow in any self pity.
Pampered footballers. Get in the real world!!!
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unhappy players cause unhappy dressing rooms. If he is unhappy and wants to go back to Belgium then he probably should. A shame though as our left back situation is pretty poor to say the least. Thought he was going to be the answer. H e will be here until January at least so he needs to be professional until then im sure mick will let him go if hes truly unhappy.
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IMO only i think most foreign players need far to much time to settle in English football except the very top players. We’ve yet to see the best of JVD and Milijas too, it took Zubar a while but when his wife and child moved here, his game improved much better, and he now looks a class player,ive always advocated on here id sooner buy British players,has they are used to type of football played here. Its faster and more in your face. I see a player who ive said i wish we would buy scored two goals last night for Derby Kriss Commons, i still think he’s worth a punt in january, as he’s got ‘two good feet’ and can play anywhere across the midfield/front and scores goals. I know he’s in the Championship but i think he could make the step up, like Jarvis and Kightly both did, we’ve given far worse players than him a chance in the past thats for sure, so go MM take another look at him, as our 3 wingers ALL pick up injuries quite easily?. And please Mick given in your own words ( he’s a top bloke ) Ward a rest for a while and give Elokobi or Mancienne a run of games at LB. I see Chelsea put two young lads on last night, yet their £5m-£6m rated player we’ve got on loan could NEVER get 5mins on the pitch?. UTW
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Somebody is having a laugh with us this season.
Its going from bad to pathetic.
If Mick & Clipboard don’t steady the ship before the end of November, then I want O’Neil & Bully in instead.
Sort it Mick, there is only so much the fans will take.
We are Wolves.
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It will be difficult for Wolves to get much or any cash back when he is pretty much saying he only wants to go to Anderlecht who lost millions by missing out on the Champions League.
I spent 3 years living in Brussels and its not easy moving to a new country. I’m guessing his pregnant wife got cold feet after he had signed for us which has unsettled him. It was often the wives of my expat colleagues that struggled to settle in Brussels at first.
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Dear dear dear, i am hoping that this is just a case of the belgian media making the most of JVD missing his family. Simple solution – as the big earner in the family, get the rest of the family over here, id miss home if the missus and kids were in another country. Put your foot down son, because we all like you at the wolves and hope you’re up for it on saturday! Think JVD needs a song- any ideas???
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Very similar to the Zubar situation last season. The club need to get his wife over quickly and get him settled, it worked really well for Zubar.
I met ‘Zubes’ at a charity event in Birmingham and he said that he and his wife settled and he has an amazing relationship[ with the Wolves fans.
JVD
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Very similar to the Zubar situation last season. The club need to get his wife over quickly and get him settled, it worked really well for Zubar.
I met ‘Zubes’ at a charity event in Birmingham and he said that he and his wife settled and he has an amazing relationship[ with the Wolves fans.
JVD is a very good player and hopefully if he plays in his natural position of left back he will prosper.
WE ARE WOLVES.
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what a joke, a grown man!
coming out with this tosh! he new what he was leaving behind when he signed. and if his wife does not want to follow and support her husband over here, then they should not be married, fact.
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If hes being a big wuss and dont wanna play over here, sack him off! Theres plenty of players who would jump at the chance of playing in the prem!
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Just another in an increasingly long line of ‘ousiders’ who find it difficult to settle at the club and crack the McCarthy ‘circle of trust’.
Signed as a left back, played on the wing, half a game here half a game there.
Yes he has had niggling injuries but was fit Sunday and had to sit and watch his ‘superior’ get roasted time and time again. Funny how Ward is constantly allowed to play with ‘niggling’ injuries, or is that just an excuse?
I am not saying Van Damme is a brilliant left back, I can’t judge as I ain’t really seen him play there properly !! but, if he isn’t good enough, once again we have to question McCarthys’ somewhat patchy to say the least transfer record, especially in the Prem.
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Come on JVD I can understand your feeling homesick when your family are in Belgium, and I can also understand that your wife maybe wanting to stay in Belgium to give birth to your second child. Maybe when your child is born then she could think about coming over to England and seeing if she could settle here, and then for you to make your decision. I am really sorry that you are feeling like this but I can understand why you feel like it, but when you were interviewed when you signed for us you said that this is what you wanted, to play premiership football in England and I know it can be hard to adjust to our way of playing.
It must be frustrating for you with the niggling injuries and family issues to contend with, but having having seen you play, you have made a good contribution to the team and even scored a goal for us.
So come on JVD you can do this.
Whatever you decide and “I hope it is to stay with us” I wish you all the best
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Jelle needs to concentrate on his football. No doubt he gets a cracking wage. Be positive, stand up and be a professional. Suppose his missus has changed her mind about coming here and is causing the grief.
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He’s not been here long enough to judge it yet surely? Come on mate, get your head down and show us what you can do.
However, I do feel for him, as he was brought in as a LEFT BACK but he’s been playing LEFT WING – what is Mick doing? The guy deserves a chance in his natural position and ward has not been good enough this season, but he’ll never get dropped will he?
He should be in the team Sat and we need a win. Mick needs to start delivering soon. You can’t spend nearly £40M in two seasons on players, when hardly any of them play and not expect questions to be asked.
Personally if we can’t beat Wigan and West Ham, we’re going to struggle to get out the bottom three for a month at leas, with the top four to play. I’d get O’Neil in while he’s still available. You can’t argue that he’s not a better manager then McCarthy. Players move on and so do managers, we need someone else in now to take us to the next level.
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These are dissapointing comments from JVD if they have not been over hyped by the media.
Whats the problem? Brussells is commutable ,you can be there on eurostar in three hours!
Get a grip, we need you!
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What a load Belgian waffle.
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bad buy from a man who has no idea about football at the top level.
apart from Doyle and Hanhanman, who has he bought who actually are better then the jones team that went down
Player to player the below team is better
oakes
irwin Craddock Lescott Naylor
Cameron Ince Rae Kennedy
Camara Miller.
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i hope he stays . i think he s a class player , can anyone tell me whats happened to zubar ?
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Guys chill out. I am sure he was mis quoted. Isnt it what they always say. I be more unhappy if I was Jelle if the likes of Stephen Ward gets into the side ahead of him!
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Grow up Mate, most of us in wolvo would go to jail for two years for the contract and money you are on.
Brussells ( the most boring city in Europe) compared to Wolverhampton Heaven no contest!
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we should move him out of Bilston, and put him in Tettenhall? Might help
Seriously, if you have ever enjoyed a beer in a cafe in Anderlecht, you know what he means.
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I dont see the real issue. He has a young child and wife away from him. He will be having another child soon, no surprise he misses them.
He just needs them over here, maybe they will come over when the second child arrives/
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FFS give the bloke a break, he’s a human being – would love to see you lot move abroad and settle immediately. Relocating can be extremely unsettling regardless of age! Hope he pulls through, he could prove to be a valuable team member
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I think the main issue here is that he wasn’t in the squad of 18 against Villa and he’s peeved off about it.
The first goal we condeded at white hart lane started as a result of van damme being weak in the tackle and allowing lennon to bomb forward before being taken down in the penalty area. Granted, it was a silly tackle by ward but it could have been prevented in the first place. I can imagine mick gave him a rollicking for it and now he wants out.
And even if he is homesick, to say that ‘Anderlect will always be my club’ when he’s under contract somewhere else is totally unprofessional. Let’s get our money back and move on.
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The reason JVD feels so fed up is simple, he sits and watches MM favourite Stephen Ward play woeful week in week out and cannot understand what he needs to do to get into the team, my suggestion is for JVD to start doing MM garden, mow the lawn fella at MM palacial home.
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COME ON WOLVES FANS READ BETWEEN THE LINES,USUAL MM MIS HANDELING OF A PLAYER!!HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF YOU HAD TO WATCH WARD PLAY IN THE POSISION MM TOLD YOU AND ALL THE WOLVES FANS “I’VE SIGNED HIM AS A LEFT BACK” KNOWING YOU WOULD BE BETTER WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED,
MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY IS HIS (MM) FAMILY MOTO,
REMEMBER,FREDDIE,BOTHROYD ROY KEANE ETC…. PERHAPS QUALITY PLAYERS WHO COULD NOT BE BULLIED WON’T SIGN OR ARE NOT ASKED TO BECAUSE OF THE SITUATION HERE… OUT NOW BEFORE IT’S TO LATE!!!!!!!
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7) What are you on about??? Zubar, Hunt and Fletcher are class players.
As for Scott Dann, he was due to sign at Wolves and his agent got him extra wages and Roger Johnson we were outbid.
I quite like Van Damme but he is not even fit enough to complete 90 minutes. In terms of Belgium, Brussels, Charleloi and Ostend are horrible places. I am sure there are decent parts but there are much better places to live in Europe – Low Hill, Bushbury etc. Only joking!
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Jelle, if you want to go, go! But please, do us one favor: take Nut Job Bob Wolf with you!!
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i read what u guys have said and also hope that its been hyped by the press. i am sure their press must be as bad as our (e&s exculded :P)
I back MM 100%, no matter what, so calls for his head are crazy, the guy has not even said anything about anything yet.
Lets issue some calm, and let mick deal with it.
BTW – what happened to him saying that he was always a leading man and could be the next captain for wolves? C’mmon JVD! Captains and leaders dont act like this!
WE ARE WOLVES. . . . (YOU SHOULD BE TOO)
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Watch out for the ‘Taken out of context-I love it here quotes on website/E&S’. This is a typical quote from homeland mag, of course theyre going to portray him as an Anderlecht and Belgian-mad guy as they’re tryin to sell rags just as much as the E&S are! Don’t read anything into it. If there’s a story on JVD its why he hasnt completed a league game yet?
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Cant help but notice this sentence: ”
Van Damme hopes for a recall this Saturday at Wigan after being overlooked for Sunday’ defeat against Villa”.
No Van Damme, no Mancienne. Has Mick completely lost it??
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Could it be that he doesn’t like his flat in Whitmore Reans???
He doesn’t realise he is just around the corner from the haven that is The Newhampton!!!!
You don’t get pubs like that in Belgium!!!
Or was he a bit skint in the summer, thought he’d get himself a 3 yr contract worth millions & then start bleating about being homesick & hope for a loan move back to “his club”.
Don’t think so sonny, knuckle down, you owe us!!!!
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100% agree with post 18, 100% Wolf !!
As regards other players Guedioura sat on the bench on Sunday as Dave Edwards missed a sitter and then ran around like a headless chicken for an hour. When McCarthy finally spotted this he sent AG on.
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what a wuss grow up van damme, i was homesick in manchester for 2 years doing my music production course at a music centre, i felt sick sometimes, didnt quit or stop me from wanting to live the dream. Now i’m way better at what i do, then when i started. Grow up i did
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7.Bob Wolf….. money was definately not wasted on zubar, fletcher and hunt. and i think mouyokolo will come good. i do think we wasted on milijas, halford and probably JVD. we do need a good centreback to come in as well as a good centre midfielder. if the lad cant settle he cant settle but he’s looked ok on the left side of midfield. think he needs to give it time get his fitness up and try and get in at left back. i think he struggled pre-season as its a lot more physical here in england compared to belgium and he probably struggled to get to grips with it. when his fitness is up he will come good at LB.. if not we need a new 1 asap.. ward and elokobi are no where near prem lge quality!!! UTW…
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Someone get his sister-in-law(Kim Clijsters}to have a word in his ear.
She has lived out of a suitcase for most of her profesional life.
He aint doing himself any favoures comming out with some of this drivel.
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