Burnley’s best kept secret

[IWOODLOVETT]

Burnley have signed Dutch midfielder Remco van der Schaaf on a free transfer after his release by Vitesse Arnhem.
The 29-year-old has penned a three-year deal having turned down another offer from Cardiff.

"He's a player we've been tracking for some time, we've had him watched and he will be a tremendous addition to the club," Coyle told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"He's terrific on the ball and we're excited to be working with him, he patrols in front of the back four."
"There was loads of interest elsewhere, it's been on-going for a bit but we convinced him to come.
"We were aware of him as early as January, he's a type of player we don't have and he gives us that defensive side."

ONE APPEARANCE for the club and a swift exit. What the hell happened - does anyone know the facts? Did he fall out with the manager?

[Fretters]

I wouldn't say swift exit, we were lumbered with him for three years. Wasn't he our highest paid player in the Premier League?

A very strange one.

[IWOODLOVETT]

I think he was loaned out to Bronby after about six months.

[RVclaret]

Looked good in pre season too!

[IWOODLOVETT]

Any mention in Barry’s book?

[claretburns]

The older fans have their shield of armour as Burnley fans such as "were you at the 6-1 home loss to Hereford in the 80s".

Younger fans have their armour by saying "I was at van der Schaaf's only appearance at Sheff Wed in 2008".

A strange signing, file away with Diego Penny, Fernando Guerrero, Frederic Nimani and Besart Berisha.

[Pickles]

Besart Berisha ❤

[Swizzlestick]

Didn't realise Cardiff were after him too - but look who their chairman was at the time! The Riddler! https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/foo ... af-2172855

[tarkys_ears]

The older fans have their shield of armour as Burnley fans such as "were you at the 6-1 home loss to Hereford in the 80s".

Younger fans have their armour by saying "I was at van der Schaaf's only appearance at Sheff Wed in 2008".

A strange signing, file away with Diego Penny, Fernando Guerrero, Frederic Nimani and Besart Berisha.

Don't forget Dane Richards

...anyone else to add on this rather perculiar list?

[JohnMac]

Not sure Besart was a bad signing, just a very bad injury perhaps robbed us of his potential. Add that to having him put in a Hotel on his own in a new Country.

[strayclaret]

I was so excited I bought an orange T-shirt with his name on the back.
Wore it once

[IWOODLOVETT]

All these others (except Penny) were given a run in the side, but RvdS played just ONE game and it was the first game of a new season.
Very strange.

[Rowls]

Didn’t Coyle confess that we’d simply bought a stinker in van der Schaefer?

Of course, if he did, it would make a mockery of his claims of exhaustive scouting on the useless lump.

[dsr]

The older fans have their shield of armour as Burnley fans such as "were you at the 6-1 home loss to Hereford in the 80s".

Younger fans have their armour by saying "I was at van der Schaaf's only appearance at Sheff Wed in 2008".

A strange signing, file away with Diego Penny, Fernando Guerrero, Frederic Nimani and Besart Berisha.

It was 6-0. I was there!

[IWOODLOVETT]

Didn’t Coyle confess that we’d simply bought a stinker in van der Schaefer?

Of course, if he did, it would make a mockery of his claims of exhaustive scouting on the useless lump.

He came with a big reputation and as Coyle said “"There was loads of interest elsewhere, it's been on-going for a bit but we convinced him to come”.
As RVClaret said he looked good in pre-season, so Coyle saw enough of the player to include home in his starting line-up for the new season. So something big must have happened after that first game for him to be frozen out.

I was there too and he wasn’t the worst player on the pitch.

[Rowls]

He came with a big reputation and as Coyle said “"There was loads of interest elsewhere, it's been on-going for a bit but we convinced him to come”.
As RVClaret said he looked good in pre-season, so Coyle saw enough of the player to include home in his starting line-up for the new season. So something big must have happened after that first game for him to be frozen out.

I was there too and he wasn’t the worst player on the pitch.

I was there and I agree. It was a toss up between him and Diego penny.

[daveisaclaret]

I thought Grezza gave him a good run for worst (outfield) player on the pitch that day. Thankfully from memory he only played the 0-3 v Ipswich at right back again and the rest is history.

I would never point a finger at anyone regarding this but with some of the names mentioned (eg Dane RIchards, Fernando Guerrero) it would be really interesting to know what the finances of the deals were and where the money went.

[IanMcL]

Besart Berisha ❤

Wasn't it McClaren who suggested we sign him, after that international? Someone did!

[JellyBaby]

What happened to Jelle Vossen? Was that his name?

[agreenwood]

What happened to Jelle Vossen? Was that his name?

Had a decent career back in the Belgian top flight, including playing for Club Brugge in Europe.

[CoolClaret]

What happened to Jelle Vossen? Was that his name?

He basically used as a means to transfer from Genk to Brugge without going direct.

So strange, signed, played four games then left in the same window

[RammyClaret61]

A strange signing, file away with Diego Penny, Fernando Guerrero, Frederic Nimani and Besart Berisha.

I might be wrong, but weren’t all those signings in the same window?

[TheFamilyCat]

Marco Gentile, Remco, Weghorst.... The Netherlands hasn't been our best source of players.

[SammyBoy]

I assume Van der Schaaf was meant to play the position Grezza ended up in, i.e. CDM, but for whatever reason that didn't pan out.

Also, regarding Dane Richards, if Wikipedia is to be believed he didn't make a senior professional appearance until he was 24 which seems bizarre, apparently he was playing University football until then.

[ClaretTony]

I assume Van der Schaaf was meant to play the position Grezza ended up in, i.e. CDM, but for whatever reason that didn't pan out.

Also, regarding Dane Richards, if Wikipedia is to be believed he didn't make a senior professional appearance until he was 24 which seems bizarre, apparently he was playing University football until then.

Grezza had already played there for us.

[SammyBoy]

I might be wrong, but weren’t all those signings in the same window?

Just looked it up and apparently Berisha was 2007, VDS 2008, Guerrero 2009 and Nimani 2010.

[ClaretTony]

Burnley have signed Dutch midfielder Remco van der Schaaf on a free transfer after his release by Vitesse Arnhem.
The 29-year-old has penned a three-year deal having turned down another offer from Cardiff.

"He's a player we've been tracking for some time, we've had him watched and he will be a tremendous addition to the club," Coyle told BBC Radio Lancashire.
"He's terrific on the ball and we're excited to be working with him, he patrols in front of the back four."
"There was loads of interest elsewhere, it's been on-going for a bit but we convinced him to come.
"We were aware of him as early as January, he's a type of player we don't have and he gives us that defensive side."

ONE APPEARANCE for the club and a swift exit. What the hell happened - does anyone know the facts? Did he fall out with the manager?

On the morning of the day we signed him, given the speculation, Coyle was asked about him in a press conference prior to the USA trip. Coyle said he’d never heard of Remco van der Schaaf that morning.

No idea what happened but he was definitely placed on the naughty step with some others. Following promotion he became our highest paid player.

[CoolClaret]

On the morning of the day we signed him, given the speculation, Coyle was asked about him in a press conference prior to the USA trip. Coyle said he’d never heard of Remco van der Schaaf that morning.

No idea what happened but he was definitely placed on the naughty step with some others. Following promotion he became our highest paid player.

One of my mates that was in the youth team said he went and trained with them.

He said he was obviously a gifted player and really technical said that he could barely move and didn’t have the physicality for champ footy. Constantly in with the physio with a really bad knee

[RammyClaret61]

Just looked it up and apparently Berisha was 2007, VDS 2008, Guerrero 2009 and Nimani 2010.

4 consistent years then. Coyle out!!!

[burnmark]

Cotterill signed Berisha.

[ChrisG]

Marco Gentile, Remco, Weghorst.... The Netherlands hasn't been our best source of players.

Granted, however for balance, Ian Maatsen and Erik Pieters you'd have to argue are decent Dutch signings.

[TsarBomba]

I was told, and I have no idea how true this is, that Remco had a bust up with Coyle in front of the rest of the players at HT in that first game, and pretty much burnt his bridges from the get go.

Whatever the truth, he was a very expensive flop.

[NRC]

On the morning of the day we signed him, given the speculation, Coyle was asked about him in a press conference prior to the USA trip. Coyle said he’d never heard of Remco van der Schaaf that morning.

No idea what happened but he was definitely placed on the naughty step with some others. Following promotion he became our highest paid player.

I watched all the USA games in situ and RVDS was the pre-season best player for me