It is by your own actions, both on the field
and in the changing room, that you can help.
It’s really about proving your worth on the
field where you can be a good example
to the rest of the squad.
How long do you think you can carry
on with the comeback – maybe two
or three seasons?
No, I don’t want to look too far ahead. I see this
not only as a comeback but also an effort to
play again. We will have to see how physically
challenging it proves to be. That you will only
know by playing.
My objective is to be back on the pitch
and play in the games, but I think it is also
important – to avoid disappointment from
everyone – to point out it could vary from
zero games, or one or two, to... well I won’t
say 34 games because I’ve never managed
that in my career! But I hope a whole lot and
that’s what I’m aiming for. I feel very positive
about it and I’m going to give it the best I can.
But how it turns out, no one can predict.Will you be cycling to training, as you did
when you were18?
Probably, yes! We built a house that is a good
cycling distance from the training ground.How much did you
miss football?
To be honest, I didn’t
miss it at all for the
first six months. I enjoyed a lot of other
things. I’m a sports fan who enjoys other
sport too. I still think that if I had got a really
nice offer from a big club, or if Bayern Munich
had said: “Hey, come back” I would not have
done it. So, this is the combination of not
only wanting to play again but to also help
Groningen. I don’t think I would have done
it otherwise.What about football did you miss?
The matches, the full stadiums. Also working
towards an objective, like trying to qualify for
major tournaments with the Dutch national
team or big championship matches with your
club. That’s what motivates me and that’s what
I’ll be looking for with Groningen, especially
when the public are allowed back. We’ll have
to see how that all develops but that is what
I’m looking forward to.You started out at Groningen aged16, but
then left at18 to join PSV. Can you explain
a little bit more about your affection for
the club?
This is where I come from, it’s home. It’s where
I grew up. I came through the youth structures,four and a half years before my debut. I was
ready for the opportunity and I did leave
fairly fast. But for me, I’ve come home,
and FC Groningen are a part of that.Your wife played a big role in help
initiating your comeback, what was
your reaction to that?
Obviously if you step away from the game after
20 years and then a year later you want to go
back, it is something you have to talk through
thoroughly first with your family. I was surprised
how positive she was about it, she really likes
the idea of a comeback at Groningen and
supports it. We have been together since I
was18, so we’ve had an enormous adventure
together. It makes it easier that after all
these years of travelling to Eindhoven,
London, Madrid and Munich,
we have returned home.
Interview by Mark Gleeson“This is where I come from, it’s
home. It’s where I grew up”Family man...All the
Robbens are back
in his home citySend-off...Robben scored in his final Bundesliga match for Bayern in May 2019