Van der Water finds new adventure in Cambodia, plays with Nani and Pato

Silvester van der Water, former Eredivisie striker, has rediscovered the joy of football in Cambodia after a turbulent clubless period, where he is now active as an outside player.

Eredivisie years and first steps

Van der Water grew up as a youth player at Almere City FC and quickly broke through to become a regular in the first team, after which he made a nice step to Heracles Almelo. In the Eredivisie he recorded ten goals and eight assists in 54 appearances, a performance that also caught attention on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. He had only recently been on the wings of many Eredivisie clubs, but a return to the Netherlands currently seems almost unthinkable.

America, Nani and Pato

In February 2021 Orlando City paid €1,2 million for the striker and Van der Water happily packed his bags for a move to Florida. He describes the step as both sporting and financial a very enjoyable experience, with top facilities and sunny weather all year round. During his time in the US he played alongside Nani and Alexandre Pato, two players he had only known from television until then and with whom he still keeps in touch.

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Return to Europe and the road to Cambodia

After a year and a half in America Van der Water suffered an annoying injury and was replaced by the club, after which SC Cambuur paid more than half a million euros to bring him in. He found the move from day one not a match and had many discussions with coach Henk de Jong about promised investments that were not realised. Cambuur were relegated that season to the Keuken Kampioen Divisie, where Van der Water stayed another half year, followed by a loan spell at PEC Zwolle that did not yield a contract.

Then his contract at Cambuur was suddenly terminated just before the transfer window closed, allowing him to still move to RKC Waalwijk; there he was also relegated and after 17 games did not receive a contract extension. An offer from Vietnam did not appeal to him, but during a flight to Asia he received a call from Greece and signed with Panionios, a club at the second level. After about seven months the Greek club unexpectedly pulled the plug, after which Van der Water had his contract dissolved and was left without playing minutes.

With that series of setbacks Van der Water eventually found his way to Cambodia, where he now once again fully enjoys the game and highlights the beauty of the country. He remains optimistic about his future and looks forward to new adventures beyond the Dutch football fields.