I came up against Quincy Promes when he starred for Ten Hag, now I could face him again in my new job as a prison warden
A GOALKEEPER who once defied Erik ten Hag has swapped crossbars for jail bars – by becoming a PRISON WARDEN.
Leonard Nienhuis played 98 Dutch top-flight games for SC Cambuur in the Eredivisie.
He hung up his boots five years ago and the 33-year-old even came up against Ten Hag.
That was during the Manchester United manager’s time in charge of Go Ahead Eagles.
Nienhuis has since sprung a jailhouse shock by going to work in Holland’s tough Veenhuizen prison.
And he could yet find himself having to lock up former opponent Quincy Promes if the troubled winger returns to Holland.
Now with Spartak Moscow, Promes has been handed a six-year prison term for drug smuggling – plus a further 18 months for wounding his cousin.
Dutch authorities are currently seeking to bring the 32-year-old back from Russia to serve his sentences.
Nienhuis told De Telegraaf: “If Promes gets sent to Veenhuizen he will be just another prisoner to me.
“He won’t have to wear an orange jumpsuit, and he will be treated fairly.
HOW TO GET FREE BETS ON FOOTBALL
“I came up against him for Cambuur in 2012-13, when he played up front for Go Ahead Eagles. Erik ten Hag was their coach at the time.
“In any event, Promes knows that I won’t be easy to get past!”
Nienhuis added: “You think about your future while you’re still playing football. My father-in-law worked in a prison.
“I went on a training course there, and agreed with the team leader to take a permanent job.
“I wanted to return to normal society, and to spend more time with my family.
“After leaving Cambuur I was No.2 keeper at Sparta Rotterdam, but there was little interest in me from other clubs.
“NEC Nijmegen came along for me that October, but we were unable to agree terms.”