Ex-Newcastle loanee punched by one of his own fans which led to suspension of match

The defender, who spent the 2019/20 season on loan at St James' Park, now plays for Groningen, who are struggling in the Dutch top flight having won just four of 26 games this season.

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With Willems' side 2-0 down against Heerenveen on Sunday, supporters started to get angry as a toxic atmosphere from the stands spilled onto the pitch.

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In the 80th minute of the game, fans invaded the pitch as stewards struggled to restrain them, leading to the match being suspended.

Among a number of Groningen players, Willems went over to their supporters to try and calm the situation down, but the attempts at making the peace saw a fan punch him in the face.

The supporter was arrested for the incident, and thankfully, the left-back did not appear to be seriously hurt.

With chaos kicking off in the stands, the referee decided to send the teams back to their dressing rooms with fears growing that the match would be suspended altogether.

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However the final ten minutes of the match were able to be completed with Groningen unable to change the 2-0 scoreline.

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The 28-year-old only joined the relegation-strugglers in February this year and has made four appearances for the club.

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Willems is remembered fondly for his time on Tyneside after spending the 2019/20 campaign on loan, making 20 appearances in the process.