Planet Swans ArchivesDe Vries will line up with his Swansea City team mates tomorrow looking to secure a win that will take the side to Wembley on 30 May but he insists that they have never forgotten their young team mate who died so suddenly twelve months ago.
Speaking to Wales on Sunday, De Vries said “It can be easy to forget – but that’s not the case with us
“A lot of us still talk about him. He is still in our thoughts. He was a great colleague, a great teammate, but he was also a great friend and you can’t just forget that.
“We said as a group that this year would be for him and hopefully we are doing him proud this season.
“Sometimes, he’s there in the back of our minds and with us – and sometimes you just say after a game ‘Hey, this one’s for you’.
“Unfortunately, he’s not here now to enjoy these moments with us when he had the quality to be part of it, but he is here in our thoughts and it would be great to do it for him.
“That’s why it was so special in that first game against Preston. You could sense something that day.
“The fans’ response was incredible, to see his shirt like that was really something, and then we won 4-0 – just like his shirt – and that makes you question if special things happen sometimes. I’m sure it did that day.
“I’m sure he looked over at us that day and could be proud – and I’m sure he is proud of what we’re doing right now.
“This was supposed to be his year,” added de Vries.
“He never quite made that impact in his first year, but he was a gifted player and we could all see that working with him every day.
“The idea was that he might take a bit of time settling in, getting up to the pace and getting used to training at a higher level again after the problems he had before.
“He was still young and the plan was for him to push on this season – but he never got that chance.
“I will never forget the day I got the call,” recalled de Vries. “His girlfriend texted mine and I had to phone some of the lads like Shefki Kuqi who was very close to him and then the captain Garry Monk.
“They were calls I wish I never had to make.
“It was a bitter loss for all of us and it took some getting used to – and it still does.
“It has been hard, but hopefully we are doing him proud and his family can be proud of the support they had from the fans and from the club,” said the 30-year-old stopper.
“Whatever happens this season, hopefully we’ve done him proud because it’s a reminder to put things in perspective.
“You’re not playing for life or death, we’re playing football, for enjoyment, playing for positive things like promotion and the Premier League and the happiness of a city.
“It is not life or death and we know that after what happened. It makes you think sometimes of the bigger picture.
“It would be great to do it for him but we will always remember him whatever happens.”
