P. Joosten: I made the best decision for my career

Apollon FC announces the finalization of the agreement with the Dutch football player Patrick Joosten, who successfully passed the necessary medical examinations to which he was subjected.

The winger, regarding his transfer to Apollon Limassol, gave his verdict on his transfer on the club’s official website www.apollon.com.cy.

Welcome to Apollon. How do you feel about your transfer to our team in the last hours of the transfer window?

The truth is that everything happened very quickly as we were pressed for time. A lot had to be done to complete it but I am very happy to be here. Still getting to know my new teammates and the coach but I feel like I made the best decision for my career.

Were there any other transfer offers before you joined Apollon?

There have been offers for a long time from various teams but that of Apollon, as I said before, was the best choice for me because it is a team that competes in Europe, which is a great motivation for every footballer. All players want to compete at the highest possible level and UEFA group stage matches are the highest step. When you are given this opportunity, you cannot easily say no.

You will have the opportunity to compete in familiar environment as we have been drawn to compete against AZ Alkmaar.

I have just left Holland but in a few weeks, I will be back to compete with AZ. I have been playing in the Dutch league for my whole career and I know the club very well. This is a very good team and this shows the level we are at as Apollon.

As you said, this is the first time you are leaving the Netherlands to compete somewhere else. Do you feel strange about it?

Now I will be in a different environment but it does not stress me at all. I have the necessary self-confidence, I know who I am and what I can achieve. I am aware and I knew from a very young age that one day the opportunity would come to compete outside my country. As it happened the first time I left my hometown to compete in another one outside my comfort zone, so now I will play in another country. From a young age I wanted to have an international career. I didn’t dream of competing in Holland forever. It’s time to play somewhere else today. I feel ready for my transition to the Cypriot league.

Were there similar opportunities to compete abroad in the past?

This is the first time I have had an offer from Cyprus, but there have been some proposals from other European countries in the past. However, then I did not feel ready and neither had the experience and maturity to leave the Netherlands. You don’t just say “yes” and walk away. There are many factors. Now was the right time!

What did you know about Apollon before our team show interest in you?

I knew that Apollon qualified for the tournament’s groups because it was drawn in the same group as AZ. I know that they are the champions here and that they are a big club in Cyprus. The rest I will learn little by little while living in the team. There is a lot of information to collect. I’m excited and can’t wait to get started!

Have you contact to other compatriots or former teammates who compete or have competed in Cyprus?

No, I didn’t do that because I don’t think that’s right. I prefer to learn for myself about Limassol, the team and the league here and form an opinion without being influenced by others.

What kind of football player are you, what are your main characteristics?

First of all, I’m a winger. I can play on both sides but I think I perform better on the left. I am right-footed and I like to create goalscoring opportunities for my team. I think I have a strong shot, good dribbling and I can work well with my teammates. I believe I can help the team win games and achieve their goals.

What can the fans expect from you?

As I said before, I will help the team as much as I can to have a successful year. The fans should expect a football player who will give everything on the field for the team to win.

The player has chosen number 65.