Roberts Uldrikis is the new striker for SC Heerenveen following a lightning-fast transfer on the final day of the summer window. The 28-year-old Latvian moved from German side Arminia Bielefeld to Friesland, where he is immediately available for manager Robin Veldman. The day that preceded his arrival was chaotic.
Heerenveen currently sits eleventh in the Eredivisie with five points from four matches. The team has scored five goals and conceded six. The next fixture is at home against league leaders AZ Alkmaar, a side Heerenveen trails by seven points in the title race.
Roberts Uldrikis trained with Arminia Bielefeld in the morning. Only afterwards did he receive a call from his agent. At three in the afternoon, he had a video call with Heerenveen manager Robin Veldman and technical manager Johan Hansma. Immediately after that conversation, he traveled from Bielefeld to the Abe Lenstra Stadium. That same evening he was presented as a new signing. "Honestly, on Wednesday I didn't even have time to think about the rivalry between the clubs. It all went so fast," Uldrikis said.
Upon arrival in Heerenveen, he had a quick meal of a few sandwiches and a tour of the stadium. The striker did not renew his contract with SC Cambuur in 2024 and afterwards played for half a year in Greece with Kallithea. Since January 2025 he was under contract at Arminia Bielefeld, where he immediately suffered a serious knee injury. Since the start of this calendar year he had been a regular starter again.
A coaching change at the German club this spring reduced his playing prospects for the new season. Uldrikis stated he was only told late in the transfer window that he was allowed to leave. He mentioned his experiences in the 2. Bundesliga, where away matches against clubs like Schalke 04 and Kaiserslautern attracted between 50,000 and 60,000 spectators. His move to the Frisian rival of his old club Cambuur drew mixed reactions from people in Leeuwarden.
For Heerenveen, his arrival means added firepower up front. The squad was dealing with injuries to Marcus Linday and Mats Egbring, who were unavailable against AZ. Mees Hilgers was also not yet fit for the match selection. New signings Uldrikis and Marko Farji were available. The current Heerenveen squad shows the options for manager Veldman.
Robin Veldman stressed the importance of a focused team after the transfer window closed. "For me, AZ is a title contender. I'm curious what we can put up against that," the manager said. He noted that some players had been distracted by transfer talk in the preceding weeks. On Wednesday, when it became clear no more players would leave, he sensed a different energy in the group.
The match against AZ takes place on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 PM in the Abe Lenstra Stadium. AZ arrived on a run of four consecutive wins. Heerenveen aims to break its recent form sequence of draw, loss, draw, and win with the home game. Fans can check the full standings and upcoming fixtures for the current league context.
The first meeting between Roberts Uldrikis and his former employer SC Cambuur is scheduled for December 5th. The Frisian derby will be played that day at the Abe Lenstra Stadium. The Latvian forward can then face his old club for the first time. For now, he is fully focused on integrating at Heerenveen and the upcoming league matches. The next of those is against leaders AZ Alkmaar on September 6, 2026.
