Rik De Mil’s rise to AA Gent’s helm revealed by two close friends
AA Gent’s head coach Rik De Mil has become the first‑division figure his two close friends never imagined. Joeri Verschelde (45) and Wim Rotsaert (49) sit down in the café ‘De Scheve Zeven’ to map the journey that took the former goalkeeper from provincial pitches to the top of Belgian football.
Early ties in Eeklo
Joeri explains that he and Rik first met at the age of six, playing for the youth side of KFC Eeklo before graduating to the club’s first team. Their friendship grew in secondary school, where they spent hours ping‑ponging in a garage and attempting tennis – a sport Rik’s mother forbade him to play.
“Those matches lasted for hours, always five‑setters,” Joeri laughs, recalling how Rik would return home very late and receive a stern reprimand.
Provincial playing days
Wim, who featured for second‑provincial Oostkamp in the mid‑2000s, admits he did not know Rik before joining the club. He describes a tight‑knit squad that was initially hesitant to accept newcomers, yet Rik’s sociable nature quickly won them over.
Rik guarded the net for SV Oostkamp and helped the side capture a provincial title, later organising team‑building events that cemented his reputation as a natural motivator.
“I advise him to include a stylist in his contract,” one comment in the interview reads, a tongue‑in‑cheek suggestion that highlights the playful banter among the trio.
Technical promise and injuries
Joeri notes that even as a teenager Rik displayed technical qualities that hinted at a higher level; Deinze lured him away from Eeklo, and he spent the latter part of his teenage years on the bench of a second‑division side as a backup keeper.
Wim adds that chronic knee, back and hip injuries have limited Rik’s playing career, suggesting that without those setbacks he might have featured regularly in the second or even first division.
“Rik was of a completely different calibre than what we were used to in provincial football,” Wim says, recalling how precise his shots had to be when he, a striker, tried to score against Rik’s goal.
When asked whether they saw a future coach in him, Wim replies, “It was obvious how Rik immediately started directing the team. Everyone began coaching and talking on the pitch – he was a leader.”
“Als je alles optelt, leg je al snel de puzzel,” the friends conclude, underscoring how the sum of those anecdotes forms the picture of a man now steering AA Gent. The interview was conducted by Jordi De Koninck Sport, and the pair believe his leadership will continue to shape the club’s ambitions.