Gjivai Zechiël deeply impressed by one team-mate at Feyenoord: ‘He is such a good player’ | Goal.com

Published on 09 Aug 2026 | Reading time: 2 minutes

Gjivai Zechiël still hasn't decided whether he will stay at Feyenoord this season. The talented midfielder impressed in pre-season and started Sunday's 0-1 win over Sparta, but his comments to ESPN show he has yet to make a final call. 

After a difficult relationship with now sacked coach Robin van Persie, Zechiël is again fully backing himself after his loan spell at FC Utrecht under Giovanni van Bronckhorst. Even so, an exit still seems to be on his mind despite a contract that runs until mid-2028. Lille OSC had already shown interest in him before. 

"As long as I am on the pitch, I always enjoy it," Zechiël said, seemingly sending an immediate message to Van Bronckhorst. He still would not offer any clarity over his future. "What happens outside that, I leave to my agents." 

"I really try to focus as little as possible on those side issues. As soon as I am on the pitch, I just try to do my thing. I simply enjoy that. I have been given a gift from God and I always try to show it," said Zechiël, who set up the only goal of the game against Sparta. 

"Yes, such a good player," Zechiël said of goalscorer Luciano Valente. "I just get on really well with him. I actually already knew that, because I had played with him once for the Netherlands Under-21s. So yes, good player. Although I thought everyone was good on the ball in the first sixty minutes." 

"Of course I played under Arne (Slot, ed.) and under Gio and his new staff I see a lot of those things coming back," Zechiël continued as he discussed his good form. "I sort of broke through under him, but by now I have grown a lot. Both mentally and as a player. That only works to his advantage." 

In Zechiël's view, Feyenoord should have wrapped up the match against Sparta "much earlier", but a string of missed chances kept it at 0-1. They still open the new Eredivisie season with three points. Next week, Go Ahead Eagles visit for Feyenoord's first home game.

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