Vilhena Set for Eredivisie Return with Willem II

Tonny Vilhena is coming home.

The former Feyenoord midfielder is on the verge of a return to the Eredivisie, with newly promoted Willem II closing in on his signature, according to VI.

The 31-year-old, capped by the Netherlands, is expected to leave Panathinaikos after a difficult spell in Greece, where he featured only three times last season. Willem II, back in the top flight and bracing for a survival fight, see him as an immediate upgrade in the heart of their midfield.

This is not just any signing for Dutch football. Vilhena is a product of Feyenoord’s academy, a player who grew up in Rotterdam and went on to become a mainstay. He played 258 games for the club, scoring 41 goals, before deciding in 2019 that it was time to test himself abroad.

Russia came first. At Krasnodar, Vilhena added a different edge to his game, making 79 appearances and scoring nine times. Then came Spain. In January 2022 he joined Espanyol on loan, did enough to convince the club, and made the move permanent that summer.

His journey didn’t stop there. A season-long loan at Salernitana in Italy followed, another change of league, another style to adapt to. By the summer of 2023, Panathinaikos moved in, offering him a new project in Athens. He played 44 games for the Greek side, a solid contribution in a demanding environment.

The 2024/25 campaign sent him on the road again. Panathinaikos loaned him to Turkish club Alanyaspor for six months, where he managed 15 appearances and two goals. When he returned to Athens, the picture had changed. He no longer fit into the plans and quickly became surplus to requirements.

That opened the door. And Willem II have stepped through it.

For the Tilburg club, just promoted and desperate to avoid dropping straight back to the second tier, this is exactly the type of experience they need: a midfielder who has seen Russia, Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey, and knows exactly what a relegation scrap feels like.

For Vilhena, it is something else entirely. A chance to reset. A chance to step back into Dutch football, not as the promising Feyenoord talent, but as the seasoned campaigner Willem II hope can anchor their season.