Dani van den Heuvel reflects on Leeds move that never quite worked

Dani van den Heuvel has reflected positively on his time at Leeds United, describing the move as “incredibly cool” despite never making a competitive senior appearance for the club.

The Dutch goalkeeper joined Leeds from Ajax in 2020, arriving at Elland Road during a period of optimism as the club returned to the Premier League after a 16-year absence. At the time, Ajax were keen to retain the then 22-year-old, but Van den Heuvel opted for a move to English football after being persuaded by Leeds’ sporting vision.

Ultimately, his four-year spell with the Whites did not translate into first-team minutes. Van den Heuvel left Leeds as a free agent in 2024 and joined Club Brugge later that summer, where he has remained since. Still, looking back, he has no regrets.

In a detailed interview with Voetbal International, Van den Heuvel explained that Leeds’ long-term plan played a decisive role in his decision to leave Ajax.

According to the report, Leeds convinced him by offering the chance to train regularly with the first team under Marcelo Bielsa, who was then in charge. For a young goalkeeper, the opportunity to develop in Bielsa’s demanding environment proved decisive, even if competitive opportunities never materialised.

Reflecting on working under the Argentine coach, Van den Heuvel recalled the unique nature of Bielsa’s methods.

“That was quite different from what I was used to,” he said. “Bielsa did speak English… but actually, not at all.

“The meetings always involved an interpreter. Bielsa would sometimes be furious, and it was great that the interpreter sometimes kept talking so calmly. Or maybe the interpreter was trying to pretend he was furious too. That was absolutely fantastic.”

Although his time at Leeds did not work out in footballing terms, Van den Heuvel speaks warmly about the daily environment at Thorp Arch, particularly the quality of players he trained alongside.

One standout memory involved working closely with Raphinha, who spent two seasons at Leeds before earning a move to Barcelona in 2022.

“I worked with Raphinha a lot during that time,” Van den Heuvel explained. “After training, he was always looking for a goalkeeper to practise with.

“It was incredibly cool. Sometimes we’d practise one-on-one, then we’d practise shots from the wings, and other times we’d do free kicks.”

Having followed Leeds closely during that Bielsa era, such stories align with the club’s reputation at the time for intense training sessions and individual technical work beyond the standard schedule.

Van den Heuvel’s Leeds chapter may not have delivered matchday opportunities, but it appears to have played a formative role in his development. Exposure to Premier League standards, elite attackers and a demanding coaching philosophy offered experiences that are not always visible on a CV.

However, it remains too early to draw firm conclusions about how much that spell directly influenced his current trajectory at Club Brugge. What is clear is that the move left a positive impression, even if the original sporting objectives were not fulfilled.

Now established at Club Brugge, Van den Heuvel will be focused on turning training-ground experience into sustained first-team opportunities. While his Leeds spell belongs firmly to the past, the lessons and exposure gained during that period may yet prove valuable as his career continues to develop in Belgium.

Was Van den Heuvel right to choose development over guaranteed minutes?