Rommedahl joins NEC as Been stays loyal

Denmark forward Dennis Rommedahl has signed for NEC Nijmegen from fellow Dutch UEFA Cup contenders AFC Ajax on loan for the rest of the season, while coach Mario Been has pledged his future to the club after being linked to the vacant position at Feyenoord.

Rommedahl move
Rommedahl, 30, remains under contract with Ajax until summer 2010 but has made only three league appearances this season since the arrival of Marco van Basten as coach and was not fielded in the UEFA Cup. The former Lyngby BK, PSV Eindhoven, RKC Waalwijk and Charlton Athletic FC player, capped 83 times by Denmark, joins a club six Eredivisie places behind Ajax in eighth and preparing to continue their UEFA Cup campaign with a Round of 32 tie against Hamburger SV on 18 and 26 February, while the Amsterdam side face ACF Fiorentina at the same stage.

Been pledge
Meanwhile, Mario Been has scotched rumours about replacing the departed Gertjan Verbeek at Feyenoord, where the NEC chief was previously a player and assistant coach. "I got sick and tired of all the speculation and rumours," Been said. "I owe this club a lot and have followed my heart. For me NEC and calm around the squad are the most important things at this moment, certainly with the big matches coming up."