Mees Hilgers leaves FC Twente after 15 years: A lesson in asset value in modern football

When I looked at FC Twente's training list at the start of the season, one detail made me pause longer than usual. Mees Hilgers – the central defender who had been with the Enschede-based club for nearly 15 years – was not in the first-team group. Instead, he trained with the B group, where players whose future no longer lies at De Grolsch Veste are gathered. Taylor Booth, Arno Verchueren – familiar names on the club's clearance list. I have followed situations like this for 9 years in the industry. The B group is not just a training ground – it is a statement. When a player is pushed down to the B group, the club is sending a clear message: his future is no longer here. And for Hilgers, that message came after a complex chain of events that began last summer. The story began when Hilgers had the opportunity to leave FC Twente on a free transfer – an opportunity any player would welcome to control their own future. But the contract termination process was not completed on time due to issues involving his agent. The consequence: his contract was automatically extended until mid-2027. This seemingly procedural detail changed the entire landscape. Instead of leaving for free, Hilgers became a transferable asset. After that, everything followed a familiar script. Hilgers temporarily stopped attending training, then returned and was placed in the B group – where players no longer in the coaching staff's plans are gathered. The period of isolation from the first team lasted long enough to create a gap in the career of a player in his prime years. SC Heerenveen – the club from the Friesland region – approached and sealed the deal. A two-year contract with an option for a third season. Technical director Erik ten Hag offered positive words for the deal, emphasizing both parties' satisfaction. The notable point here is not Hilgers' move to Heerenveen – a routine transfer between two mid-table Eredivisie clubs. It is how FC Twente managed the process to protect asset value. Look at the mechanism: when the agent failed to complete the contract termination on time, the automatic extension clause was triggered. This is a standard protective mechanism in football contracts, but it is often overlooked in transfer analyses. In this case, it turned a player about to leave for free into a valuable, transferable asset. The decision to push Hilgers to the B group was also a deliberate management decision. I have witnessed many clubs use this tactic – isolating a player to pressure them into leaving. The B group becomes a collection point for players no longer in the plans. This sends signals not only to the player but also to interested clubs: this person is available. But there is an interesting paradox. The agent's failure – the very cause of Hilgers' predicament – became the factor that protected FC Twente's transfer value. If the contract had been terminated on time, Hilgers would have left for free and FC Twente would have received nothing. But because the process was not completed, the contract was automatically extended, turning a departing player into a valued asset. The formula is not on the tactical board. It lies in the gaps that tactics inadvertently leave behind. For Heerenveen, this is a low-risk deal. A two-year contract with an option for a third season allows both parties to reassess after a reasonable period. If Hilgers regains his form, Heerenveen has a solid central defender at low cost. If not, they can easily let him go after two seasons. But the blind spot in this story is this: we often underestimate the impact of isolation from the first team on a player's psychology. Hilgers has spent months without playing, without training with the first team, without match rhythm. This cannot be erased with a new contract signature. I do not believe in luck. I believe in systems designed to create luck. And the system at Heerenveen will need to be designed to bring Hilgers back to match rhythm gradually, in a controlled manner. Otherwise, this deal could become a gamble. Based on my experience following matches, players who have spent long periods on the sidelines typically need at least one to two months to regain their match feeling. This is especially true for central defenders, a position that demands high concentration and game-reading ability – skills that easily deteriorate without regular playing time. Another notable angle: Hilgers has Manado heritage – a detail that could generate special interest from the Southeast Asian football market, particularly Indonesia. If he performs well at Heerenveen, a call-up to the Indonesian national team is entirely possible. This not only opens international opportunities for Hilgers but also increases his commercial value in the Asian market. The culture of a team only reveals itself when all plans collapse. The rest is just rehearsal. For Hilgers, the period of being pushed aside has ended. But truly proving his worth only begins when he steps onto the pitch in new colors. The question is: can Hilgers find himself again at Heerenveen? The two-year contract with an option for a third season shows both parties are cautious. But in football, players who have been pushed to the margins often have the motivation to prove otherwise. And that is something no data table can measure.