In the suburbs near the city center, shoppers lined up to pay. Nowadays, everything is self-service, and of course prices have increased over the years. But in fact, that is the only change since the Aldi supermarket's billboarter once had a 19-year-old young man named Tijjani Reijnders.
This is the city of Zwolle, in Overijssel province (Netherlands), not far from the center where Liverpool coach Arne Slot owns a beautiful house. Will Slot's family ever shop at Aldi? And if so, will they recognize that the black-haired guy who is scanning the product code is the one trying to step into the first team where Slot has spent most of his playing career?
In the Netherlands, we call it vakkenvuller, Bas van Wijnen, who worked with Reijnders in Aldi, recalled. Tijjanis job is to line up on shelves, make money and do all kinds of small things. He was always focused on football, but at that age, he wanted to earn some money. It helps open up the eyes, making him more determined that he has to become a professional footballer.
Van Wijnen, who was also a talented player, understands the story well because he and Reijnders have been close friends since childhood. They have played with the youth team since the age of 7, then together went to PEC Zwolle, their home team competing in the Eredivisie tournament. And if you think carefully, the story is truly wonderful: In just 8 years, Reijnders have gone from being a cargo hold at Aldi to running on the San Siro pitch with AC Milan and now the Premier League in the Manchester City shirt.
Why choose Aldi?
You may wonder: Why did a promising young player at a Dutch top club choose a job at Aldi to earn several hundred Euros a month? The answer reflects how Reijnders - now 27 years old - was raised. His younger brother Eliano has been playing for PEC for 7 years (and also worked at a supermarket lidl near his home) before leaving the team last month. His father, Martin, was a PEC striker with 250 professional matches, including 1 season at Nashville Metros in the United Soccer League (USA).
But for Martin, who has experience in the profession, he knows the dangers of young players easily moving away from real life. He wanted his children to experience a normal job. Their mother, Angelina, also thinks so. She was the one who saw the "employee recruitment" notice posted on Aldi's information board. I immediately went to meet the manager, she said, They gave me a petition. I said: "Not for me, but for my son". I brought it to Tijjani and said: Let's go. And the great thing is, Tijjani had a very fun time working there.
In addition, two close friends of Reijnders also work at Aldi: Van Wijnen and Steyn van Ark - currently playing for dos Kampen. At that time, all three of us were at PEC Zwolle, Van Ark said, When we didnt practice, we went to work together at Aldi. It's fun, you earn some money, and you know what a real job is. But Ti will always have another plan.
Starting at Man City
In the early stages of the season, many Premier League fans are still getting used to the name Reijnders - a player who made a memorable debut for Man City when scoring a beautiful goal against Wolves and winning the title of Best Player of the Match on the day of his debut.
Few people know that the rookie wearing the No. 4 shirt raises a Pomsky dog (pomeranian and Husky's cross), named Messi - you can probably guess why. Those close to him all talk about Reijnders' simplicity, about him never losing his childhood friends, and family is still paramount. He and his wife Marina, a teenage love, have just welcomed their young son Xavien. In Zwolle, if he has free time, he still likes to pick up his younger sister Syane - a promising dancer - to go to school. He calls his parents almost every day.
When he was first called up to the Netherlands National Team, he was still happy to let his mother drive him to the Zeist training center. Are you sure?, she asked, Were there not many national players accompanying you like this? But for Reijnders, it's completely normal.
The student always smiles
Many memories from Zwolle show why Reijnders are so popular. Nanda Mast-Krol, a primary school teacher at Zevensprong, recalled: He always plays soccer, behind the trees, on the pitch. Every friend in the class wants to be on the same team as him. I used to say that he would become a player, even asking for his autograph before he left school. Unfortunately, I have lost that piece of paper.
She still has many photos: One Reijnders wearing a gray sweater, a bright smile; another photo of her camping trip, sitting on a friend's shoulder, is still a bright smile. He is very sociable and has never caused trouble. And the smile that everyone saw today is the smile I will always remember.
Reijnders' talent flourished when he joined the WVF youth team in the suburbs of Westenholte at the age of 7. Coach Rijk van Ark said: Even as a child, he knew what to do before the ball reached his feet. He can lead, score, and assist. Even though his child is young, we still assign him to play with players 1-2 years older. But you are always the best player.
The way to the top
Initially, both brothers were discovered by FC Twente. Every morning, Angelina's mother has to drive her child to study at Hengelo for an hour, along with Nutella sandwiches. Later, when they were older, the team sent buses to pick them up. In 2015, Reijnders left Twente to play for CSV'28 - an amateur team coached by his father. A father's advice is always deeply rooted: "There are too many "gray mice" in the world. Let's shoot more, dare to be different." And that has helped him confidently overcome the difficult period, especially after his physical breakthrough.
Reijnders made just one appearance for PEC Zwolle (901m) before taking off at AZ Alkmaar. There, his talent exploded, then led to a contract with Milan in 2023 - where he had left his mark on Ronaldinho and Kaka, his idols. His father, who admired Van Basten, gollit and Rijkaard, was even more moved to see his son wearing a red-legged striped shirt in San Siro. He always says there is only one plan - Plan A: Play in the Champions League, said Steyn van Ark.
Today's success
Last season, Reijnders won the Serie A Midfielder of the Year award, scoring 15 goals. He has played 25 matches for the Netherlands in just over 2 years. Many in the profession are surprised that Man City only had to spend more than 45 million pounds to have him - in the context that they urgently needed a replacement for Kevin De Bruyne.
In Zwolle, everyone is proud. Everyone says that success does not make Reijnders change. He still kept the WhatsApp group with 6 old friends from the youth team, still keeping the family motto: "Go with a high head, but never underestimate anyone".
Now, under Guardiola, the Reijnders are asserting their name in the Premier League. Van Wijnen shared: Its hard to believe looking back at the past 8 years. But I wasn't surprised, because I saw him score with a hook when he was just eight.
As for Aldi? No one recognized it at the time, Rijk laughed, You go into the supermarket and see a normal cashier. But that was T - a simple guy, with extraordinary talent".
