Gijselhart bids farewell to Deportivo as he heads to Al Ain on loan

Teun Gijselhart has posted a farewell message on social media after leaving Deportivo, a move described by the club as temporary: he departs on a one-year loan but remains under contract until 2030. In his own explanation, the midfielder’s goal is straightforward—get back to regular playing time and return “better prepared”.

A farewell with clear reasons

In his post, Gijselhart looks back at his short stay in A Coruña—“just a few weeks”—and still stresses the strong sense of belonging. “From the very first day I felt I was joining an enormous club, but above all a real family,” he writes, adding that the people, teammates, coaching staff and the city made him feel “at home”.

On the sporting side, he frames the loan as the next step in his development: “I’m at a stage in my career where I want to play week after week, keep growing, gain experience and come back stronger and better prepared.” His next stop is Al Ain, where he’ll aim to secure minutes.

Rotation left him with fewer chances

According to Sport, the situation moved quickly because Gijselhart had already been away from Antonio Hidalgo’s group for a couple of days while the club worked to close the loan until June 30. The coach connected the decision to squad “overcrowding” and, in particular, the arrival of Marc Casadó on the last day of the window, which reduced his playing opportunities.

Sport also recalls that Gijselhart signed in June through 2030 and, despite promising moments early on—including minutes in the summer’s first friendly—competition ultimately limited his role. Even so, his message underlines that his time at Deportivo mattered: “I’m very grateful to everyone at Deportivo for how they welcomed me… and made me feel part of this family.”

With the loan now heading toward the UAE, the next question is whether the move to Al Ain delivers the continuity he asked for—something he spells out clearly in his farewell.