Theo Janssen: Holland's Gazza lite

He smokes, likes a drink and a good night out with the lads, and is one of this country’s most talented midfielders. He has been for quite a few years. At the not-so-tender age of 29, Theo Janssen now looks set to make his fourth Holland appearance in next week’s Euro 2012 qualifier in Moldova.
[On 3 October, it was announced that Janssen will be out of action this coming week with a knee injury, TT]

The FC Twente playmaker is a raw diamond, with a penchant for trouble. Early in his career, while playing for Vitesse Arnhem, he suffered a serious leg fracture, which kept him out of the game for many months.

That was in 2001. And it would take years before he felt fully fit again. In the mid-noughties, Janssen realised his scoring potential, earning himself his first two caps for Holland.

But his career wasn’t helped by his chubbiness or his temper. More injuries and suspensions kept him off the pitch for the better part of the next two seasons, and in 2007 he was told that he could look out for another club.

'Better-than-Beckham' bias
A year later Janssen signed a four-year contract with FC Twente, where he once again displayed his remarkable passing and free-kick skills. To a biased eye, the gifted left-footer bends them better than Beckham. A case in point was Janssen’s mighty equaliser against Inter Milan two weeks ago, when he curled the ball just centimetres past the left post and Julio César’s fingertips. Last Sunday, he scored both goals in a 2-2 cliffhanger against league rivals Ajax Amsterdam.

Watch below Janssen's cracking freekick against Inter Milan (Source: You Tube):

There’s no doubt that Janssen is currently on form. And he knows it. “I could easily play for Real Madrid. I just adapt to the level of play," he recently told a regional newspaper. "I'm currently at the highest level I've ever been. But I have more in me. I can take another step up the ladder. I know I'm ready for it."

Matured
These remarks could easily be mistaken for bragging, but Janssen has matured, both professionally and as a person. In May, he won the league title with Twente following a two-month mid-season suspension for drink-driving. The road accident he caused after a night-time party left one of his best friends seriously injured. "It'll haunt me and my family for the rest of my life," Janssen recently said in a TV interview. "I've found it hard to come to terms with".

It's remarks like these that may have mellowed his detractors. And removed the last remaining doubts for Holland manager Bert van Marwijk. With Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie still injured, Van Marwijk may well call on Theo Janssen to lead the attack against Moldova next week, in tandem with midfield galactico Wesley Sneijder. If Janssen manages to adapt to Sneijder’s level of play, Holland should be in for an easy victory.