What’s happened to Mike Eerdhuijzen after ‘mental blow’ of failed Birmingham City transfer

Birmingham City fans thought they were getting a new Dutch Mike for a few days in July. The signing of Mike Eerdhuijzen, a 24-year-old left-sided centre-back from Sparta Rotterdam, was on the verge of completion.

Eerdhuijzen was persuaded to swap the Eredivisie for the third tier of English football by Blues’ transfer chiefs and travelled over to finalise a move. But the deal broke down and was unable to be resurrected, despite Eerdhuijzen’s hopes that it would be.

Blues did eventually sign three Netherlands-based players in the form of Emil Hansson, Willum Willumsson and Alfons Sampsted. Players in the Eredivisie scored well in the data Blues analysed their transfer targets against and they were attainable financially.

But that isn’t any consolation to Eerdhuijzen who reportedly sought the help of a psychologist to help him process his failed transfer.

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'I've been brooding for a good month and had a mental blow,” Eerdhuijzen told VI in August. “I want to play football freely, that's the most important thing.

“I believed in Birmingham's project. In terms of finances and club size, it was a step I was looking forward to and when it falls through, you're disappointed for a moment. But when you realise where you come from, it's not so bad after all.”

Eerdhuijzen was targeted by FC Twente after his Blues transfer fell through and Sparta seemed willing to sell him to a divisional rival. It was Eerdhuijzen who decided against a transfer after the disappointment of missing out on a move to Birmingham.

Shortly before the Eredivisie season started Eerdhuijzen pledged his immediate future to Sparta and started their opening game against Heracles. Eerdhuijzen commented: “It is smart to focus all my attention on Sparta and to look at the next transfer window. I don't want to think anymore.”

Eerdhuijzen has started all four of Sparta’s games in their unbeaten league start, including further draws with fancied sides Twente and Feyenoord. His place in their line-up is undisputed after the sale of alternative left-footed centre-back Tijs Velthuis to Serie B side Salernitana.

Once the dust has settled, Eerdhuijzen will no doubt look to complete a move away from Sparta. The reasons why he didn’t become a Blues player will probably never be made public, but those in power at St Andrew's will be interested to see where Eerdhuijzen ends up in the next 12 months.

What have you made of Eerdhuijzen's replacement Christoph Klarer? Let us know here