When Lucie Ehrmann (27) signed her contract with Oranje-Rood in early May, she couldn’t stop crying in the car home. Finally the dream of the Frenchwoman came true. Being first choice in the best league in the world. ‘I give you everything. You get my whole heart.’
‘When I watch Formula One, I sometimes get angry. They say: there are only twenty spots to give away for a driver. Then I think: be glad you’re not a goalkeeper. In the premier league you only have twelve.’
Was signed: Lucie Ehrmann. The goalkeeper who took the gamble six years ago, only 21 years old, and left for the Netherlands. Via HGC (second goalkeeper), Groen-Geel (Second Division) and three seasons behind Josine Koning at Den Bosch, she eventually ended up as first goalkeeper at Belgian Royal Antwerp. Until Oranje-Rood called her six months ago. Then her dream came true.
From Second Division to big league
Ehrmann will tell her story Sunday afternoon at Kampong. She just won 3-0 against HDM at the preparation tournament. With two black smudges under her eyes – to prevent glare from sunlight and for an intimidating appearance – she talks about how happy she is. ‘I’m an emotional person. I don’t care what team I play for, but I give you everything. You get my whole heart,” she says in Dutch, with occasional English phrases in between.
Photo: Ewout Pahud
‘I am so incredibly happy that I managed to make it in the big league,’ she beams. ‘I had to work so hard for it. It really wasn’t easy as a foreign goalkeeper. I have heard in the past: ‘I think you are better than the other goalkeepers, but because you are French, I am not going to choose you,’ she says. On the side of her helmet the text: hard work pays off for a reason. ‘I get the confidence of Oranje-Rood. They dare to do it with me. When I signed my contract I cried all the way back. From Eindhoven to Antwerp. Tears of happiness.’
I’ve heard in the past: I think you’re better than the other goalkeepers, but because you’re French, I’m not going to choose you. Lucie Ehrmann
Her mother doesn’t like tattoos
Ehrmann believes things happen for a reason. Setbacks make her stronger. Her Instagram account isn’t called “Happy Lucie” for nothing. Few can walk the same path. Always watching from the dugout. Dealing with disappointments. But keep telling yourself that your moment will come. She is proud of herself. And then looks at her left forearm. There is a large, colorful tattoo of the Olympic rings. The summer of 2024, with the Paris Olympics, was a reward for her years of hard work. A moment never to be forgotten. “My mother doesn’t actually like tattoos,” she laughs. Yet that is not the only adornment on her arms. She cherishes important moments in her own way. Whether her mother likes it or not.
Photo: Ewout Pahud
She left her familiar surroundings in Bordeaux six years ago for a field hockey adventure. She hardly ever sees her mother – who has since moved a little further south in France -. Only at Christmas. ‘Or sometimes in the summer, when it fits with the French national team,’ she says. This past summer, she was able to see her family for two days. She had a ram-packed schedule with the Nations Cup II and the European Championships. ‘For those moments I do it. How hard I find that sometimes,’ she says. A smile appears on her face. ‘I’ve also been an aunt since a few months. My brother had a baby. I try to use that as motivation. I have to make sure I get everything out of it so it’s all been worth it.’
I wanted to learn about the culture. To understand why they are always the best. Then I thought of myself as having to understand the language. Lucie Ehrmann
She wants to prove herself in the big league. Enjoying her first weeks back in the Netherlands. ‘Last year I played in Belgium. There we mainly spoke English, so I have to get used to the language again,’ she says. ‘When I was at Den Bosch, I started practicing really well. I wanted to get to know the culture. Understand why they are always the best. Then I thought of myself that I should understand the language,’ she explains. Last week, she began another language course.
The superstition of the Dutch
‘I find it funny that at Oranje-Rood many things are the same as at Den Bosch. I walked into the locker room for the first time and knew I couldn’t just sit anywhere,’ she laughed. ‘You Dutch are so superstitious. Everyone sits in a fixed spot. Even at the lineup. I just asked Juul (van der Velden, Eindhoven’s new captain) where I should stand. At the yell, the same is true. My spot in the huddle comes down to the centimeter.’
She has slowly found her place in Eindhoven. ‘I have quite a character,’ she says. She is referring to her presence. Ehrmann can constantly be heard shouting and screaming. She is not silent for a moment. And cheers her lungs out when her teammates score. ‘That’s who I am. I’m glad they accept it. I feel safe.
Photo: Ewout Pahud
To avoid getting used to everything, she chose to re-rent her old apartment in Den Bosch. ‘I’ve had my driver’s license since February, so I can go back and forth to Eindhoven by car. Fortunately, because taking the train with all that stuff is not an option.’ In the Brabant capital, meanwhile, she will work part-time as a barista. ‘I still have to work on my latte art, though. I don’t get much further than a little heart,’ she laughs. Further focus goes to field hockey. ‘I’m playing in the big league now, of course. I’m going to take that very seriously.’
Another new tattoo?
Her prediction? ‘I saw somewhere on Instagram that we were chosen number four by AI. That would be something. And then the play-offs against Den Bosch. Nothing is impossible anyway,’ she grins. But she is aiming for the left row. Then her first season in Eindhoven will be more than successful. And then of course there is still a question. Will there be a tattoo?
‘I actually wanted to get one during my time with HGC, but I didn’t. I’m 27 years old. Who knows, I might end my career in the big league. I think there will be one then, maybe referring to Oranje-Rood. Already sorry, mom.
