At 38, the veteran goalkeeper had originally expected to be watching the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ on television, having called time on his professional career last summer after 20 years in the game, 513 appearances and a notable 11-year spell with second tier outfit Zwolle. At the time, he had just completed his third season with Feyenoord, the club he joined following a three-year stint with Alkmaar, who gave him his first taste of the Eredivisie in 2000 before sending him out on loan.
As he began adapting to life away from the game, Timmer received a telephone call from Heerenveen, the team based in the town where his speed-skating wife, Marianne, had enjoyed significant success down the years. With all their goalkeepers out injured, Heerenveen were looking for an experienced No1 and Timmer accepted, stating that they were the only side who stood any chance of tempting him back. He began with a trial in March and then signed professional terms until the end of the season, giving him enough time to show Bert van Marwijk his enduring qualities.
First called up by the national side for a friendly against Turkey in February 2005, he finally made his debut in a friendly against Italy in November the same year. Marco van Basten clearly liked what he saw and took the then Alkmaar custodian – who had failed to impress during a loan spell at Ajax in 2002/03 – to Germany 2006. He was brought on board for UEFA EURO 2008 as well but did not feature once again and is still waiting to represent the Oranje in a competitive fixture.
