Mees Rijks reflects on the start of his career in the Netherlands and his early memories in the first instalment of Football Firsts.
The 23-year-old began his football journey at FC Abcoude and Amsterdamsche FC before joining FC Utrecht in 2015, where he made his Eredivisie debut against Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven.
A switch to Norwegian side Vålerenga Fotball followed, as well as a loan switch to De Graafschap before moving to Bristol Rovers in January 2026.
Looking back on his time in football so far, Rijks shared his football firsts...
What was the first pair of football boots you owned?
"You know, the CR7 Nike ones [Mercurials], Ronaldo, yeah, they were good."
How about the first football kit?
'The first kit I ever owned, I think it was AC Milan with Mario Balotelli, which was very good as well. I got it in Italy. It was fire; I was buzzing when I got back.
"I think I was a really big fan of him [Balotelli], to be fair, at the time. I liked the Euros 2012; he was good then."
What was your first footballing memory?
"I think going to my brothers' amateur club where they were playing, and that was the moment that I really wanted to play football as well. I think that’s the most memorable moment.
"I was just jealous seeing him play, and I was jealous of not playing; I think that’s the first moment I ever thought about playing football. He doesn't play football; he quit a year later!"
What was the first live match that you ever attended in person?
"It must have been an Ajax, but I don’t know which one. I did not go that much because I played for Utrecht, so they didn’t like Ajax that much, and when you play in the academy, you were like ball boys, so we were in the stadium quite a lot."
Who was your first football idol?
"Ronaldo. He’s just the best, isn’t he? He’s just great."
What’s the first piece of advice that you remember football-wise?
"Don’t be soft; that’s the first thing I remember. My dad said that."
Who was the first teammate you ever roomed with at Rovers?
"It's always been quite luxurious - it was Tommy Leigh. It was really nice; I think it was his first match as well. It was Cambridge away, and we shared a room together, and we watched golf videos and went to bed early."
Can you remember your first senior appearance?
"I played for FC Utrecht against PSV, and they were top of the league at the time."
Can you remember the first time you were recognised in public?
"I remember it was in Oslo when we had a derby, and I got a red card in the derby, and it got me quite famous, and after that it went really well, so around that time, I started to become quite famous.
"It was in a supermarket; I was getting groceries, and there were a whole bunch of guys who all wanted pictures, and it was quite cool.
