A former Bafana Bafana striker has opened up about his struggles playing in South Korea, revealing that he experienced depression and panic attacks during that period.
Capped seven times for Bafana, the Dutch-born striker's last appearance for the South African national team came during the quarter-finals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
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In 2020, he moved to South Korea, joining Jeonbuk Hyundai on a short-term deal before signing for Suwon FC, where he spent three years.
His time in South Korea, however, ended in dramatic fashion, as his contract was terminated by Suwon FC after he was caught driving under the influence of alcohol in September 2023.
Now a free agent, Veldwijk has opened up about what life was like for him when he moved from the Netherlands to South Korea during the coronavirus pandemic.
"I always say now that 2020 was my best year ever," Veldwijk said on the Dave Drenthe podcast. "I dare say now that I had depression and panic attacks there. I had to go through it all there.
"I was there alone, couldn't do anything and was on the other side of the world, with a seven-hour time difference. No one could visit me and I couldn't leave the country, but in the end, that became my best year mentally and for me as a person.
"It was intense. I couldn't sleep. I was awake for two or three days, hyperventilating and stuff like that. I've never said it publicly before; this is the first time. It affected me a lot, but in the end, it made me stronger."
Reflecting on his first club, Jeonbuk Hyundai, he added: "It was the biggest team, but it was really in the middle of nowhere. There was a lockdown, I slept in the clubhouse, and I was often alone there. I was in a bubble.
"When I looked out the window, all I saw were mountains, and only three fighter jets flew over every day. I had no social life at all. There was quite a lot going on in my private life, and it became so much for me that you eventually get upset."
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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