Pedro Ricksen

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Pedro Ricksen

● Pedro Ricksen, 2001 (SNS) Pedro Ricksen was born on Thursday, 30th August, 1979, in Heerlen, Limburg. The defender joined John Lambie's Thistle for a trial period in July, 2001, having most recently been with AZ Alkmaar. Aged 21, he made his debut appearance on Wednesday, 18th July, 2001, in a 5-1 win at home to Alan Morgan Select in a Benefit match. There were no goals for Pedro during his spell with Thistle. He played his second and last game for the club on Wednesday, 25th July, 2001, in a 1-1 friendly draw at home to Blackpool. Pedro's club-list included Roda JC Kerkrade, AZ Alkmaar and Partick Thistle.

Bio Extra

Pedro had a promising youth career with Roda JC but never made the grade professionally. He joined at the age of nine after being spotted while kicking a ball about as his would-be-famous brother, Fernando, played for Fortuna on another pitch. Willy van der Kuijlen, the Eredivisie’s record goalscorer, liked the way he struck the ball and took him to Roda, where he was a coach. Pedro moved to Fortuna at the age of 12, where he remained until 16, before returning to Roda for another three years. His final year saw him play for AZ Alkmaar’s second side, where future Holland international Khalid Boulahrouz was a team-mate. When I was little, some thought I would be a better player than Fernando but when I was older I had issues (coping) with the stress of going up to the first-team. Every pass and every duel must be 100 per cent good, so I would stress about it. When I played eight passes and three didn’t go well, I always thought, ‘Shit, they’re going to substitute me’. Now it’s very different, as they have videos of their games to see how they’re positioned, people to help with eating and lifestyle or even mental coaches. We didn’t have that. He stayed in the youth set-up until 21 before he followed his brother across to Scotland, where he had trials at Hearts and Partick Thistle. Rather than taking the plunge, though, he returned home, a decision he doesn’t regret. He played at local level afterwards and believes his experience as a youth player means he can relate to the boys he is coaching now. I could have stayed at Partick for one year but my salary wasn’t so big. I met Angelique at that time but Fernando was also saying, “It rains a lot, it’s grey, the sun doesn’t come out, it gets you depressed. I am happy when I go to the bank and see my salary from Rangers, but you are going to get homesick after two months”. I had met Angelique so I decided that I was going to go home and make something of my life with her and the kids. That’s what I can share with the players too, as I can say I worked through the academy and reached the first team. I didn’t play for Ajax or Rangers but I think they respect you because you know what is needed to get to the top. If you haven’t, how can you tell them to do this and that? I said to Fortuna that I wanted the older boys, as at 11 or 12, I am not the coach for them. I’m not patient enough for that! I am more a mental coach than a tactical coach. I’m trying to get the players into the vibe that winning is the most important thing and that they must work hard for 90 minutes. I try to put my brother’s legacy into my style of coaching. Older people will remember me as the brother of Fernando but the younger players don’t know him, so after a few years, they probably won’t talk about it. Of course, I have a dream to get the highest coaching papers but my ambition right now is to get a contract for three or four years. After that, there will be the next opportunity in life. As I always say, everything happens for a reason.

(18-Sep-2020, ATH)