[Football Column]Wout Weghorst, the rich second generation of the Red Devils, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth

Text/Patrick

When you travel in the Netherlands and see “Weghorst” printed on a big sign, don’t think it is a coincidence. This surname does belong to Manchester United Football Club’s long-standing center Wout Weghorst. The Dutch international was loaned to Red Devils Manchester United by Ban Lai in the winter. He has opened the door to goals in the English League Cup, effectively strengthening the team’s forward resources and even becoming a substitute.

Weghorst, 30, was born in the Dutch border town of Borne, on the border with Germany, the third of four brothers. Weghorst is a local wealthy family. My great-grandfather founded AVIA Weghorst in 1931. The initial business was natural gas trading and mining. Currently, the family mainly operates gas stations. It has more than 130 gas stations across the country. Due to the rise of electric vehicles, it has also expanded to power stations. It is known as Considered a Dutch energy tycoon.

Except for the youngest brother who joins the family business, the three brothers each have their own strengths. The eldest brother flies a plane and the second brother is an architect. He is the only one who loves sports and has wanted to become a professional football player since he was a child. However, for the Weghorst family, there are too many unknowns in professional athletes. When his parents were young, they always hoped that their son would move to the business world or leave the football circle, but he never gave up. At first, he only played for the local amateur team RKSV NEO.

Weghorst did not rely on his father, nor did he want to use the family’s connections. He studied hard since he was a child. In addition to a degree in business administration, he later obtained a degree in sports management to avoid not having any skills in the future. In fact, his talent was limited and he failed to join the youth ranks of the top three teams in the Eredivisie. He played for RKSV NEO until 2010, when he was 19 years old, before moving to the fourth-tier team DETO Vriezenveen.

In the first season, the tall man has scored double figures and received a trial training with Hercules Football Club. Unfortunately, he was not accepted. Later, he switched to the Willem II Youth Army and could not make it to the first team. Therefore, Switched to Amman Football Club, a small team in the Dutch second division. “Many people think I’m not good enough and tell me to give up football, especially since I’m 197 centimeters tall. Everyone doesn’t believe I can stand firm on the court.” Later, he successfully became the main force in Amman, and finally won the Eredivisie in 2014. Signed by Hercules and joined the powerful Alkmaar Football Club 2 years later.

Weghorst averaged 0.5 goals per game at Alkmaar, so he was favored by Bundesliga club Wolfsburg. He signed a four-year contract and joined Banlai Football Club in January 2022. But things are unpredictable. Although he made great achievements against Manchester United last season and tied 1-1, he was loaned to Turkey’s Besiktas Gymnastics Club last summer due to the team’s relegation. However, he is a very hard-working forward. Last season, he pressed the most times among Premier League forwards and ranked 24th in running distance. He is willing to create opportunities for his teammates.

There is no doubt that when Qatar faced Argentina at the World Cup, Weghorst entered the field in the 78th minute and cooperated with the Dutch team’s high-altitude bombing. I believe it was a game that left an impression on many fans in recent years. After chasing the score 1-2 in the 83rd minute, he organized an offensive with thoughtful free throws in stoppage time to tie the tie. He hit the target twice and got two goals. The only flaw was that the teams were shooting ten times each other. Out on two yards.

“My parents often say, if you can’t play football in the future, what will you do? I answer them, I can definitely become a professional player.” Weghorst did it. Maybe he may not play for the Red Devils for a long time, but being able to leave a footprint in a wealthy club in life is already the dream of many players.

[Yahoo Sports Column]The article only reflects the author’s opinion and does not represent the position of Yahoo!