Eerste Divisie leaders PEC Zwolle has confirmed the transfer of Thomas van den Belt (21) to Feyenoord. The midfielder will leave for Rotterdam after this season and will sign there until mid-2027.
Van den Belt: “Feyenoord is a fantastic club for me”
Earlier today it was announced that Zwolle and Feyenoord had agreed on a transfer. The leader of the Keuken Kampioen Divisie now confirms this. The transfer has also been announced from Feyenoord.
“I am very happy that PEC Zwolle and Feyenoord have come to an agreement. Feyenoord is really a fantastic club for me,” says Van den Belt, who was also emphatically in the picture in the winter at the current Eredivisie leader. Then a transition ricocheted at the last minute.
“As a boy of the club I went through the entire PEC Zwolle Football Academy and my debut was the moment it all really started. After that I also experienced many beautiful moments. After the relegation, which has caused a lot of pain and sadness, I started a new chapter at PEC Zwolle this season with only one goal: promotion and a championship. I will continue to give everything for that. I want to thank PEC Zwolle, the technical staff, the football academy and of course the supporters for everything. Let’s make this season unforgettable together!” he added.
Technical director Marcel Boudesteyn is happy with the transition. He said, “This is also proof for us as a club that self-educated players at PEC Zwolle really get the chance to develop themselves and even make a dream transfer from the KKD. Thomas signed last summer after everything had been done to extend the expiring contract, while there was already a lot of interest in him then. That way we could prevent Thomas from leaving on a free transfer after this season.”
A clause in his contract that allowed him to leave for a limited amount
“In January we decided not to let Thomas go, because we simply couldn’t and didn’t want to miss him in the fight for promotion. However, agreements were made with each other, which we as a club also want to keep. Now that Thomas is still leaving in the summer, we also have a nice transfer fee left with him due to the earlier contract extension, we can continue the fight for promotion to the Eredivisie with him and Thomas, as a player from our own football academy, will receive his more than deserved reward with his dream transfer to Feyenoord,” he added.
The 21-year-old midfielder is the first newcomer for the 2023/24 season in South Rotterdam. In Zwolle he still had a contract until mid-2025. The native of Zwolle had a clause in his contract that allowed him to leave for a limited amount. Because of that clause, he is much cheaper than last winter for Feyenoord.
Van den Belt is having a particularly productive season at PEC. In 29 matches, he scored thirteen goals and eight assists in the KKD.
