Transfers
Willem II gamble: veteran Tonny Vilhena returns from Greece
Willem II stunned fans on 27 August 2026 by signing 31‑year‑old former Feyenoorder Tonny Vilhena, who arrives from the Griekse top club Panathinaikos, promising to bring his overseas experience back to Tilburg. The midfielder, who has featured in Russia, Spain, Italy and Turkey, expressed his eagerness to play regularly and help the club's struggling midfield.
From Feyenoord prodigy to globe‑trotting midfielder
Over his early career, Vilhena progressed through the Feyenoord academy and broke into the first team on 22 January 2012, just after his 17th birthday, when Ronald Koeman was in charge. He made four substitute appearances that season and completed a full match away at FC Twente.
During his seven‑year spell at Feyenoord he amassed 258 official games, netted 41 goals and supplied 29 assists before departing in the summer of 2019.
Van Gaal included him in provisional and final squads for the 2014 World Cup, but Vilhena’s senior debut finally arrived in June 2016 under Danny Blind, earning a total of fifteen caps for the Netherlands without scoring.
A fresh impulse for a thin midfield
After leaving Rotterdam‑Zuid he signed for FK Krasnodar in Russia, spent three seasons under contract and was loaned to Espanyol in the last half‑year. Espanyol signed him permanently in summer 2022, then immediately loaned him to Salernitana in Italy. A season in Serie A was followed by a move to the Griekse side Panathinaikos, where he later fell out of the starting line‑up and spent a loan spell at Alanyaspor before returning to a marginal role.
Via the official channels Vilhena announced he is ‘heel blij om weer terug te zijn in Nederland en bij Willem II te tekenen’, adding that he wants ‘om weer lekker voetballen, belangrijk zijn voor de club en strijden voor handhaving’. The photo credit reads © ANP / ANP, Pro Shots / Jules van IperenWillem. The story was reported by Dolf van AertClubwatcher on II27 augustus 2026, and De club confirmed the signing.
He joins the squad bij Willem II as a very welcome impulse for a midfield where depth remains thin; his exact fitness is unclear, and he was not selected for the five UEFA Conference League qualifiers earlier this season. The contrast between his globe‑trotting résumé and the club’s immediate need underlines how experience is being used to stabilise a struggling side.