Jeremy de Nooijer has been holding the Al Shamal midfield together for the past couple of seasons. The Dutchman is embarking on his third season in Qatar on a different note because his team has made a grand return to the QNB Stars League after a gap of six seasons.

De Nooijer has played a key role in Al Shamal’s triumph in the 2020-2021 season Second Division and is eagerly looking forward to playing his third season in Qatar.

The 29-year-old midfielder spoke to qsl.qa about a wide range of subjects in an Exclusive Interview, on the sidelines of the Media Day organised by the Qatar Stars League at the Al Duhail Indoor Hall, as part of preparations for the 2021-2022 season.

How has been your experience so far with Al Shamal?

Well, this is my third season with Al Shamal. The first season was tough and I had troubles adjusting to the conditions. The team made it big in my second season by becoming the Second Division champions and thereby earning the right to play in the First Division – QNB Stars League.

How do you feel plying your trade in Qatar?

Qatar is a nice country. It’s safe and quiet, and I feel at home. More importantly, I feel comfortable playing here, especially in Al Shamal even though we’ve a tough task on hand this time around.

Playing in the First Division league after a long time, what’s your target and how do you feel?

It’s a great feeling. Playing in the First Division was my main target when I joined Al Shamal. We’ve got a good squad and I’m confident we can do well. We’ll fight and will see where we stand after our first few games.

What do you expect when you run into the top-flight clubs in Qatar football?

We’re well aware of the fact that we’re running into top clubs in the QNB Stars League. The matches against teams, such as Al Sadd and Al Duhail, will be tough for us, for sure. We’ve played against First Division clubs in the Amir Cup, but it’s going to be a different ballgame altogether when we play over a long period of 22 rounds.

How did your preparations for the new season go?

We underwent a three-week camp in Turkey and played some friendly matches. We stuck to almost the same team formation in those matches, but we’ll be changing our strategies according to our rivals in the QNB Stars League.

Finally, how equipped is the Al Shamal squad for the challenges ahead?

The team management has strengthened the squad with three new professional players – Argentinian defender Matias Nani, Colombian striker Jeison Medina and Iraqi midfielder Amjad Attwan. We’ve been training hard and the focus was more on physical aspects of the players so that we’ll ready for the big league.