FC St. Pauli

Henk Veerman stepped onto the turf at the club training ground for the first time at just gone twenty past ten on Thursday morning. Head coach Markus Kauczinski had gathered his players for the final time before Friday's visit of Darmstadt (kick-off: 2030 CET), and the new recruit was in the thick of things right away. "There are a lot of good players in the team, I saw that at Magdeburg in the last game," said a satisfied Veerman after the session behind closed doors. "I'll work hard for my place in the team, like all the other strikers," the 27-year-old continued.

The Dutchman did not need much time to make his mind up when the club came calling: "St. Pauli is a big team. For me it was pretty clear that I wanted to go to St. Pauli, even though other teams were interested." Veerman said he was particularly looking forward to experiencing the Millerntor atmosphere: "The St. Pauli support is well known in Holland. I've watched a lot of videos and I'm really excited to see the fans!"

Veerman also revealed what the fans can expect from him, saying: "I want to use my pace and technique to score goals. Ultimately, I want to make the fans happy by working hard."

It remains to be seen whether Veerman will be able to showcase his skills against Darmstadt, however. "It isn't clear yet whether Henk will be eligible to play on Friday," explained director of sport Uwe Stöver. "As the transfer has only just gone through and it was an international move, there are certain formalities that need to be completed. We'll have to wait and see if it's done in time. It isn't in our hands as we're dependent on others. Irrespective of all that, it's the coach who will decide in the end whether he plays or not."

The six feet six (2.01 metres) centre-forward will wear the No25 shirt for the Boys in Brown, a number that has special meaning for him. "I chose the No25 because that's my wife's birthday."

Listen to what Henk Veerman has to say about his move (in English) free of charge on www.fcstpauli.tv

Photos: FC St. Pauli