Mats Wieffer #12

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Wieffer’s call-up was a bit of a surprise. Despite having 14 caps he hadn’t featured in the previous four international windows. But his club manager, Fabian Hürzeler, was among his biggest cheerleaders for a recall, pointing out his huge versatility. “He has a really good physicality, a good understanding of the game … he's an absolute team player.” Wieffer signed from Feyenoord in 2024 for a reported £25.4m, making him the Eredivisie side’s record sale. He wasn’t that impressed when he first arrived in Brighton, though. “It was summer, but the weather was terrible: grey, rain, wind. I was in a hotel with my family and seriously thought: where on earth have I ended up?” he told Dutch outlet tubantia.nl in March. “But my parents stayed a bit longer after I left, and the next day the weather was suddenly beautiful. They sent me photos and I thought: OK, this is quite a different city.” He has grown to love the ice cream on the sea-front, too. "They have the best ice creams in South England. Just as good as at Van der Poel in Hengelo, but much bigger. One scoop is enough."

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