Keeper's secret

Jan 12 2008 by Mel Booth, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

NICO VAESEN celebrated Town’s FA Cup win by revealing a secret – he’s to hang up his gloves!

The 38-year-old Belgian – hugely popular in his time at the Galpharm – is playing with Lierse SK in the Belgian Second Division but is planning to call it a day at the end of this season.

Vaesen, of course, was with Town from 1998 to 2001.

He played 153 times and helped the club achieve their highest league placing in almost 30 years (eighth in the Championship), and while his Town career finished on a low with relegation to the current division – he was transferred to Birmingham City for £650,000 at the end of that campaign – Vaesen still keeps a close eye on events at the club, where he was an £80,000 signing by Peter Jackson from Eendracht Aalst.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been over, so the cup-tie between two of my old clubs was the ideal opportunity,” said Vaesen, Town’s Player of the Year in 1998-99 and a play-off winner with both Birmingham and Crystal Palace.

“I moved back to Belgium a year and a half ago and, because I’ve been playing with Lierse, I haven’t had too many chances to get back over and watch games.

“A few of the lads rang me up and suggested I came to the cup game and I was very happy to be back at the Galpharm Stadium.

“I always get a nice welcome, it’s great to catch up with all the people there and, with Town being my first English club, I always keep a close eye on results and follow what they are doing.

“My three years in Huddersfield were just one big happy memory, really enjoyable, and it would be great to see them get up into the Championship at least and crack on from there.”

On the cup performance, he added: “It was a hard battle, but I thought the lads worked tremendously well and deserved their win. Conditions were difficult because of the pitch and the wind, but I was disappointed with Birmingham. I expected more of them.

“I’m not taking anything away from Town because they played really well, but I thought for a Premier League team it was a poor performance by Birmingham.

“Town threw some young lads in and I thought they did really well, and I just hope they can go on from this and turn it into a good run and, hopefully, make progress in the league as well.”

On his career, Vaesen admitted: “I think these will be the last few months.

“I’m fine physically, but I have done the job I was asked to do, which was to help bring some of our younger players along, and now I think it’s going to be time to concentrate on something else. Exactly what, I don’t know.”