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Arminia Bielefeld sign former Swansea City captain Mike van der Hoorn

DSC Arminia Bielefeld

Bundesliga side DSC Arminia Bielefeld have announced the signing of defender Mike van der Hoorn. The 27-year-old Dutchman, a product of the AFC Ajax youth academy, joins Bielefeld on a free transfer from Swansea City AFC. He has signed a three-year contract with the Germans and he will be wearing the number 6 jersey at Arminia Bielefeld.

“We are delighted to secure the services of Mike. We kept a close eye on him during his time at Ajax Amsterdam and we are convinced that he will provide our defence with more stability in the Bundesliga due to his broad experience and style of play,” said Samir Arabi, Managing Director (Sports), DSC Arminia Bielefeld.

Van der Hoorn has spent four years with the Swans while representing the club in 125 matches. He was also the captain of the Championship side. The 1.90m long defender started his career at the FC Utrecht youth set-up, before joining Ajax to earn 77 appearances in the Dutch Eredivisie and five appearances in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

“Mike is a robust and edgy central defender who has great passing abilities. He will fit perfectly into our formation,” said Arminia Bielefeld head coach Uwe Neuhaus.

“I had excellent talks with those responsible, Samir Arabi and Uwe Neuhaus, who convinced me. I was also in touch with other clubs, but Arminia made me feel comfortable. Therefore I’m happy to be here,” said Mike van der Hoorn. “As a child, I had the dream to play in the Bundesliga one day. Its one of the best leagues in the world.”

Van der Hoorn’s decision to join Arminia was also favoured by the fact that Bielefeld is just a three-hour drive away from his Dutch hometown Almere. “My family was in a happy mood when they heard of my decision to join Arminia and that I won’t be playing further away from home, but rather live more close to it. It will make visits easier for all,” added the Dutchman.