The 22-year-old’s performances for Heerenveen this season have seen him attract transfer interest from Scottish champions Rangers, as well as Atalanta and Reims.
Steven Gerrard is said to be keen to bolster his midfield options with the addition of Veerman, for whom Heerenveen are demanding a fee of £8.5m.
Molenaar, who handed Veerman his senior debut while at Volendam, is an admirer of the midfielder and feels he has what it takes to cope with the pace in Scotland attacking-wise.
However, the former Leeds star pointed out that defending is Veerman’s Achilles heel and thinks it could be a reason why he could fail at Rangers.
“The defensive side of the game is his Achilles heel“, Molenaar told the Press Association.
“He won’t take the ball off the opponent too much because he’s more of a number 10.
“If a move to Scotland did not work, that would be why.
“But attacking-wise, he would be more than capable of coping with the faster pace in Scotland.
“His stress management is remarkable.
“I used to say he would do the same playing on the village square in Volendam as he would in De Kuip in Rotterdam against Feyenoord.
“Stress doesn’t seem to affect him. He has no fear to hold him down.”
Though Molenaar has concerns about Veerman’s defending, he has no doubts about the midfielder’s ability on the ball and his passing.
“I got Joey when he made the step from the junior team to the seniors”, the Dutchman said.
“What was very remarkable was how quickly he adapted.
“His ability on the ball also stood out – especially his passing.“
Veerman has scored seven goals and provided nine assists from 28 league appearances for Heerenveen so far this season.
