NorthEast United sign Dutch defender Kai Heerings

The 28-year-old centre-back is known for his versatility and passing accuracy.

NorthEast United FC have confirmed the signing of Dutch centre-back Kai Heerings on Monday afternoon. The Highlanders completed the move on a free transfer from Fortuna Sittard, where Heerings played for two seasons after joining the club in July 2017.

Heerings had started off his career from AFC Ajax’s U-17 youth setup, before going ahead to play for other clubs.

???????? ✈️ ???????? Kai Heerings is a Highlander! ????⚫⚪#WelcomeKai#StrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/d34EFGOzQO

— NorthEast United FC (@NEUtdFC) September 16, 2019

The 29-year-old is a tall central defender who was regarded for his consistency at his previous club. Additionally, he can also play as a right-back and a defensive midfielder, which highlights his versatility as a player.

In the last campaign, he appeared in 21 matches and recorded 1.1 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game. Heerings also notched up 4.2 clearances on average in each match and had a passing accuracy of 80.7%.

After a partly successful run last campaign, where the Highlanders managed to qualify for the playoffs, NorthEast United would definitely want to go a step further this time around. The signing of the Dutchman is crucial to bring in notable recruitments, so that the squad keeps up with their contemporaries.

The Highlanders have supposedly managed to make a swoop for Heerings after he was reported to be linked with league rivals Kerala Blasters in the past few months. However, Khel Now can confirm that the Blasters did not contact the 28-year-old and NorthEast were quick to complete the negotiations to sign the player ahead of the new season.

Speaking after signing for the club Heerings said, “I want to thank everyone for this warm welcome. I hope we do good this year. We will give everything and let’s go for it. Thank you!”

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In addition to football, his interests lies elsewhere as well. Heerings is the brain behind the portable gaming console, Game Case, which has multiple top flight players from all across Europe glued to it since the past few months. Names ranging from Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Kylian Mbappe and John Terry are his notable clients. The Dutchman shot to fame because of this in April this year. when BBC Sport worked on a feature that focused on this other prominent aspect of Heerings’ life.

In the ISL though, he would be expected to settle well with his new club during  pre-season. The transition from the Eredivisie to the ISL would be a bit onerous, and it remains to be seen how Heerings adapts to the league and life in India.