Vilhena Returns to Eredivisie with Willem II

Tonny Vilhena is on his way back to where it all began. The former Feyenoord midfielder is set to return to the Eredivisie with newly promoted Willem II, according to VI.

The 31-year-old, once a regular in the Dutch national team, is poised to join from Panathinaikos after a frustrating spell in Greece. He featured just three times for the Athens club last season and now becomes a key piece in Willem II’s bid to stay in the top flight and avoid an immediate drop back to the second tier.

This move brings Vilhena full circle. He came through Feyenoord’s academy, broke into the first team as a teenager and went on to play 258 games for the Rotterdam side, scoring 41 goals. For years he was a symbol of their midfield: aggressive, energetic, and with an eye for goal.

In 2019, he chose a new path and left Dutch football for Russia, signing for Krasnodar. There he added 79 appearances and nine goals, adapting to a different tempo and a very different football culture.

January 2022 took him to Spain. Espanyol brought him in on loan, liked what they saw, and made the deal permanent that summer. After that came Italy: a season on loan with Salernitana, another change of league, another test of his versatility.

Panathinaikos signed him in the summer of 2023, and Vilhena initially played a significant role, racking up 44 games for the Greek side. During the 2024/2025 campaign he was sent out again, this time to Turkey with Alanyaspor on a six-month loan. He played 15 matches there and scored twice, showing he still carries a goal threat from midfield.

When he returned to Athens, the picture had changed. Vilhena found himself surplus to requirements, pushed to the margins just as Willem II came calling.

Now the Tilburg club, fresh from promotion and bracing for a survival fight, turn to a midfielder with more than a decade of top-level experience across five countries. If Vilhena can rediscover even a portion of his Feyenoord form, Willem II’s battle to stay up suddenly looks very different.