Rising Star Mohamed Ihattaren Opens Up About Father’s Death Impact on Career

The former PSV player is still affected by the loss of his father. Invited on the show Matchday, Ihattaren confided that he suffers from his father’s absence: "When my father was alive, I always had to say: my father is here. But it meant so much to me that I could simply perform. You always have to be there, no matter what you do. Because do you know how much that helps a boy?"

"When my father passed away, things went wrong for me. Yes, of course I still suffer from it," added Ihattaren. He continued: "When we arrived at the stadium by bus, he was already there. He was among the crowd, behind the barriers. Everyone knew he was my father. That’s how he was. It motivated me. Now, my mother is my motivation. These past few years, I haven’t given her what I should have given her, because I wasn’t well myself."

When asked about his professional future, the RKC Waalwijk player stated: "I’ve always said: if I come back, it will be to aim for the top. I want to achieve it step by step, but in the end, I want to reach that level, where I should be." After several years of absence, Ihattaren is giving his best to regain his top form. This season, he has already scored 3 goals and provided 3 assists in 20 Dutch league matches.

The Dutch player of Moroccan origin dreams of playing for clubs like Real Madrid or Arsenal. Currently, his market value is 700,000 euros, whereas it was 22 million euros a few years ago. The player, who considers himself the best in the Eredivisie, hopes to participate in the European Championship in Slovakia. "Yes, of course. At my age, I can still play. Everyone wants to play in the Euros and World Cups, so it would be great."