Lars Unnerstall became a professional goalkeeper at FC Schalke 04. In the Netherlands, he has matured, experts even wished for naturalization.
Lars Unnerstall, national goalkeeper. No, hardly anyone could have imagined that when he left FC Schalke 04 in the summer of 2014.
At the time, Unnerstall was 23 years old, had played more games for the Königsblauen’s second team than for the professionals and cost Fortuna Düsseldorf 200,000 euros in transfer fees.
Nine years later, the national team was not completely out of the air. However, that of the Netherlands. There, the now 33-year-old has developed into one of the best keepers in the Eredivisie after stints with VVV-Venlo, PSV Eindhoven and, since 2021, Twente Entschede. “How do you make someone like that a Dutchman?” wondered Dutch international Marciano Vink last year, for example. Other experts agreed with him.
“The fact that I am sometimes associated with the Dutch national team is something I consider a nice compliment. Every now and then it goes through my head: with a Dutch passport, I might have been able to play in a World Cup or European Championship,” Unnerstall said in an interview with Voetbal International (via Transfermarkt.de).
But nothing will come of it: “I’m not eligible to play because I moved back to Germany.” Enschede is less than an hour away from his hometown of Ibbenbüren. Unnerstall only lived in the Netherlands for two years – too short.
And the DFB team is not a realistic option anyway, the goalkeeper is aware of that. “I can easily name five goalkeepers above me: Neuer, ter Stegen, Kevin Trapp, Oliver Baumann, Bernd Leno. They are better than me.”
Ex-Schalke keeper Unnerstall: Twente instead of Saudi Arabia or Premier League
That leaves Unnerstall with club soccer. And that is more than just a consolation. Because at his sixth professional station, the two-time U20 national goalkeeper of Germany has become at home.
“I would love to stay until the end of my career. In all seriousness. Just get Jan Streuer (management consultant; ed.). If he presents me with a contract until I’m 40, I’ll sign it right away. I don’t have the restlessness to want to go somewhere else again. If I want to earn millions, I shouldn’t stay at Twente. But my salary here is good, life is good, the club is good, the fans are good,” enthuses Unnerstall, who was warmly welcomed by Schalke fans at a test match last summer.
He has stood between the posts here 96 times since his arrival three years ago – at no club has he played more often. Moreover, Twente’s return to the Dutch top flight in 2019 means they are now in contention for European business for the third year in a row, although they have now failed to qualify for the main round of the UEFA Conference League for the second year in a row.
Nevertheless. Unnerstall is happy. And that despite the fact that there was no shortage of offers. For example, from Saudi Arabia, but there he would have been “deadly unhappy” despite a lavish salary, according to his own statements. Even from the English Premier League, “but I was already in talks with Twente. I told my advisor that I don’t want to hear about this interest.” A return to Gelsenkirchen also did not appeal to him.
Why? “I’m part of a Twente that is going back to where it belongs, and I feel valued. What could I complain about? “