until they were seven, the team made an exception for Cocu. He played for DCS until he was picked up by De Graafschap's youth academy. After a short period, he moved to AFC '34 in 1986. A year later, his talent was again noticed by a professional club and in June 1987, Cocu joined the AZ youth ranks. Club career Early years Cocu began in the AZ reserve squad but was soon added to the first team. He made his professional debut on 22 January 1989, when assistant coach Hugo Hovenkamp (replacing the bedridden manager Hans Eijkenbroek) brought him on in an Eerste Divisie match against NEC. The 18-year-old played as left winger at the time. Cocu scored his first goal two weeks later in a cup match against Fortuna Sittard, followed up by his first league goal in March against SVV. He would go on and score four goals in his first season. In the 1989-90 season, he appeared in nearly every league match. After the competition ended, Cocu was sold to the newly promoted Vitesse for €272,000. Cocu played only eight matches in his first Vitesse season after he suffered a broken fibula. He had a more productive second season, playing most matches and scoring three times. He netted his first Vitesse goal in August 1991 in a match against ADO Den Haag. In Arnhem, Cocu changed from being a left winger to a central midfielder. Coach Herbert Neumann envisioned a leading central role for Cocu in 1991 and placed him on the midfield position. In 1992, Cocu played his first European match when Vitesse faced Derry City. After Vitesse defeated Derry City, they beat Belgian side Mechelen in the following round. The away match was decided by a long-range effort from Cocu (0–1). Vitesse was eventually knocked out by Real Madrid. In the Eredivisie, the team finished in fourth place. Cocu also played all league matches and doubled his goal tally in his third season. In the 1993–94 season, Cocu scored 11 Eredivisie goals, including three in a 5–0 victory over Go Ahead Eagles in December. After the season, Louis van Gaal and Ajax became interested in buying Cocu, but they could not meet the transfer fee demands. A year later, PSV and Feyenoord triggered the release clause in Cocu's contract, making Vitesse unable to reject the offer. He eventually chose to play for PSV. Cocu was