Tonny Vilhena Set for Eredivisie Return with Willem II

Tonny Vilhena is on the brink of a return to the Eredivisie, with newly promoted Willem II set to bring the midfielder back to Dutch football.

According to VI, the 31-year-old is poised to join the Tilburg club from Panathinaikos after a difficult spell in Greece, where he managed only three appearances last season. Willem II, back in the top flight and desperate to avoid a quick drop to the second tier, are turning to experience and familiarity with the league – and Vilhena offers both.

Full circle for a Feyenoord product

Vilhena’s story is rooted in Rotterdam. Coming through the Feyenoord academy, he broke into the first team as a teenager and became a mainstay, racking up 258 appearances and 41 goals for the club. For years he embodied their midfield energy, before opting for a new challenge abroad in 2019.

Russia came first. At Krasnodar, he featured 79 times and scored nine goals, settling quickly into a different football culture and European competition. Then came Spain. In January 2022, Vilhena moved to Espanyol on loan, doing enough to earn a permanent deal that summer and adding La Liga to his CV.

His journey didn’t stop there. A season-long loan at Salernitana in Serie A followed, giving him a taste of Italian football before another switch, this time to Panathinaikos in the summer of 2023. In Athens, he played 44 games, a solid contribution in a demanding environment.

A career on the move, a chance to anchor again

The 2024/2025 campaign sent him out once more, this time to Turkey. Loaned to Alanyaspor for six months, Vilhena made 15 appearances and scored twice, showing he could still influence games from midfield. But on his return to Panathinaikos, he found no clear role. The club deemed him surplus to requirements.

That opens the door for Willem II.

For the promoted side, this is more than a nostalgic signing. They are getting a player who has seen four top divisions, who knows the pressure of big clubs and relegation battles alike. For Vilhena, it is a chance to reset in familiar surroundings, in a league he once helped to light up.

If the deal is completed as expected, Eredivisie defences will once again have to deal with Tonny Vilhena driving through midfield – this time in Willem II colours, with survival on the line.