Cuco Martina has paid a heartfelt tribute to Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman, thanking him for signing him at Southampton and Everton.
Voetbal International have an interview with the former defender today. He remains thankful to the Dutch coach to this day and the impact he had on his life.
Ronald Koeman gave Martina his Premier League chance
Koeman brought Cuco Martina to the Premier League at Southampton before later taking him to Everton during his time in charge at Goodison Park.
He made 36 appearances for the Saints, before another 28 at Everton, eventually departing the latter in 202 on a free transfer. Spells at Go Ahead Eagles and NAC Breda followed before he joined Victory Boys in May last year.
Now 36-years-old, he’s looking back as he faces the end of his career. And he’s full of thanks for Koeman and the impact that he had.
“Let’s be honest, Koeman has made me financially independent,” he said.
“He has given me everything I could ever dream of. My mum no longer has to work, thanks to the opportunities he has given me. I really see him as a father figure, especially because of the way he often protected me.”
Former Southampton and Everton defender explains Koeman’s influence
Cuco Martina also sees Koeman as something of a father figure. One of the clearest examples of that came during Martina’s early months in the Premier League at Southampton when Koeman advised him and Jordy Clasie to keep a low profile rather than be distracted by the glamour.
“Lots of players there drove Bentleys, Ferraris and Range Rovers,” he explained.
“Koeman told Jordy Clasie and me that, as new signings, we’d be better off driving a normal car. He thought it was better not to act all flashy at the start. That way, he wanted to prevent people from saying: ‘That Cuco plays badly, but he earns enough to drive a Ferrari.’”
He was also full of praise for Koeman’s ability to connect with older players. That is something he saw first hand with Wayne Rooney at Everton.
“Someone like Rooney could tell Koeman himself if he was feeling a bit of pain, and then he wouldn’t have to complete the whole training session,” he concluded.
