Finding My Feet
Kerstin Casparij, Netherlands
For the UEFA Women's EURO 2022, Goal Click collaborated with 12 international women’s footballers from across the national teams of Europe. The players, from Netherlands and Denmark to Portugal and Switzerland, documented their football lives in the weeks leading up to the tournament – finishing club seasons, playing in cup finals, national team training camps, international friendlies, and even the first matches of the Euros.
Kerstin Casparij plays for FC Twente and the Dutch women’s national team.
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football journey?
My name is Kerstin Casparij, I am 21 years old and playing for the Dutch national team and FC Twente. I fell in love with football at a very early age and started playing for my local club when I was seven years old. I started as a right winger, but during my career I have played pretty much every position and currently play as a right back.
I made my debut in the Women’s Dutch League at the age of 15. This made me one of the youngest debutants in the league. I had many ups, but mostly downs during my first two seasons at senior level. Dealing with managers, injuries, being away from home, not being able to pay the rent and so on. Not everything was bad though, I have always had my teammates around in whom I found comfort.
After two years of struggling, I finally found my feet, which resulted in signing for FC Twente. With three trophies already in two seasons, I can say that it has truly been a pleasure.
I could not be more excited to be a part of the Women’s EUROS. My first big tournament with the national team, hopefully it will be a good one!
My personal ambitions are to win silverware, like every other player. I want nothing more than to win. But first I want to enjoy and focus on the Euros. And who knows, maybe my ambitions of the future will not be so far away…
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning?
I showed the end of the season with FC Twente – my (crazy funny) teammates, staff, our pitch, fans, my mom and my girlfriend, and a trophy!
You can see the team lift the Eredivisie trophy. This was a year full of highs and lows, resulting in the double. It was an incredible way to end the season. We love playing football, but football is all about winning. It is the sweetest thing there is and I do not think I can ever get enough of it. It is something you have to experience, before you can truly understand it.
Our team is incredibly close, which is one reason that made us as successful as we are now. I was trying to show unity, joy, and overall love for the life that we live and the incredible job that we have. We enjoy every moment together, whether that is on the pitch or not. I am pretty sure that we, as a group, were able to find the secret formula to success. Nothing without this could have happened without some very special staff members, but I am not going to give everything away!
What are the current opportunities for female footballers in the Netherlands?
Women's football is still a growing sport in the Netherlands. There are clubs that are investing in their women's team and are doing a great job at doing so. Some teams are fully integrated with the men’s teams. They have the same facilities, pitches, and opportunities. Clubs are truly growing, and you are no longer forced to work besides your sports career. The stress of being able to financially make it through the month is something you do not have to worry about now.
There are, unfortunately, also clubs who barely have any money. In the Azerion Women’s Eredivisie there is still a big difference between the top three or four teams and the rest of the league. In financial stability, but also in the quality of players and facilities. Hopefully this will improve in the upcoming years.
When I started playing, things were very different. A lot of things changed when the Dutch national team won the Euros in 2017. This was an immense boost for the women's game. We are on the right track, but there is still so much to improve.
What does representing your country mean to you?
This might sound a little cliche, but representing my country is truly a dream come true. I have been wanting to play for the Netherlands before I even knew it was possible to do so - since I did not know anything about the women's teams when I was younger. Being able to play in every youth team and now have my breakthrough is absolutely worth all of the sacrifices I have made over the years.
What is the future for Dutch women's football?
There has already been a big change recently, when the KNVB announced that there will be equal payment for the men’s and women’s team. This is a new (and big) chapter for our team and only the beginning of new history that has yet to be written.
After this Euros, women's football will get such a big boost for the upcoming years. Not just in the Netherlands but throughout all of Europe. Being in England, a country that lives and breathes football, my expectations are that the attention, joy, and publicity will reach to the moon and hopefully many records will be broken.
