Remember the Feyenoord teenager who arrived late in the box and struck the ball like he had a grudge against the net? He's 31 now, and the conversation around Tonny Vilhena has changed. It's no longer about what he might become. It's about what he still offers, and with his Panathinaikos contract in its final year, that question has real consequences for club and player.
His route has been anything but tidy: Rotterdam, Krasnodar, Espanyol, Salernitana, Athens and a short detour to Turkey. That's a lot of addresses for a midfielder who once looked like a Feyenoord lifer.
Vilhena at a glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full name | Tonny Emílio Trindade de Vilhena |
| Born | 3 January 1995, Maassluis, Netherlands |
| Age | 31 |
| Nationality | Dutch (Angolan father, Dutch mother) |
| Height | 1.75 m (about 5 ft 9 in) |
| Position | Central midfielder, left-footed |
| Club | Panathinaikos |
| Contract until | 30 June 2027 |
| Senior Netherlands caps | 15 |
| Estimated net worth | $5 million to $10 million (Icon Polls estimate) |
The Rotterdam years
Vilhena joined Feyenoord's academy as a child and made his senior debut in 2012, still a teenager. He was quickly a regular, and he looked the part: energetic, comfortable on the ball and never shy about shooting from distance.
The peak came in 2016/17, when Feyenoord won the Eredivisie title. He also collected domestic cups and played European football, and by the time he left in 2019 he had made well over 200 appearances for the club. Those years, more than anything since, define how Dutch fans still think of him.
His youth record backed up the hype too. He won the UEFA European Under-17 Championship twice with the Netherlands.
Four countries, no fixed address
Krasnodar signed him in 2019, his first permanent move outside the Netherlands. He spent more than two seasons in Russia before moving to Espanyol, initially on loan. A loan to Salernitana followed, which gave him a taste of Serie A.
Then, in July 2023, Panathinaikos signed him permanently for a reported fee of around €3 million. On paper, Athens looked like the place he might finally settle.
It hasn't been quite that simple. In February 2025 he joined Alanyaspor on loan, returning to Panathinaikos when that spell ended in June. As of August 2026 he was still in the club's first-team squad, wearing number 52.
Our read: a mid-season loan for a senior player rarely signals that a club sees him as untouchable. It suggests Panathinaikos valued the depth but was open to options. That tension hasn't gone away.
What the money looks like
Icon Polls estimates Vilhena's net worth at between $5 million and $10 million in 2026. That's an editorial estimate, not a disclosed figure. His personal finances aren't public, and the range reflects more than a decade of contracts across the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey, plus likely bonuses and some commercial income.
His Panathinaikos salary is estimated at roughly $2 million a year, or around $38,000 a week before tax and bonuses. Again, the club hasn't published it.
The financially significant move was probably Krasnodar. Russian clubs could pay well above typical Eredivisie wages, and that switch likely did more for his bank balance than any single season in Rotterdam. His wealth is the product of steady contracts, not one huge payday, and his earning power now is lower than it was at his peak.
€500,000 and what it doesn't measure
His estimated market value in June 2026 was around €500,000. Set that beside the reported €3 million Panathinaikos paid in 2023 and it looks like a steep fall.
It's mostly arithmetic. A 31-year-old with one year left on his deal has little resale value, however many games he has played. Market value prices the future, and clubs don't pay much for a future that runs out in June 2027. It says very little about whether he can still help a team win a midfield battle on a Sunday.
The clock on his contract
His deal runs until 30 June 2027, which leaves three realistic paths:
- An extension, if Panathinaikos see him as a useful senior head in the squad.
- A sale, probably for a modest fee, if another club wants him before his deal expires.
- A final season, followed by a free transfer next summer.
None of these has been confirmed. Until the club announces something, he's a Panathinaikos player, and any talk of a departure is speculation.
How he plays now
At 1.75 metres, Vilhena has never relied on size. His game was built on energy, pressing, left-footed passing and late runs around the edge of the area. He can play deeper, in the middle or further forward, and that versatility explains why he has coped in so many leagues and systems.
In his thirties, his game has naturally shifted toward positioning, ball circulation and reading the play rather than covering every blade of grass. He can still keep possession ticking over and threaten from range when space opens up. Plenty of Feyenoord fans would put his best long-range goals among the club's highlights of that era. If you have your own favourites from the wider football world, cast a vote in our poll on the best football players of all time.
Fifteen caps in a crowded era
His father's background meant he could have represented Angola, but Vilhena chose the Netherlands and earned 15 senior caps. He never became an automatic starter, competing at a time when the Dutch midfield was full of established names. Fifteen caps isn't a long international career, but it confirms he was rated among the better Dutch midfielders of his generation. By 2026 his focus is entirely on club football.
Family, and the year that shaped him
Vilhena's long-term partner is Lana Slier, a Dutch model and public personality. Some reports call her his wife and others his partner, and the couple share only what they choose to. Their first son, Future Emilio, was born while Vilhena was playing in Russia, and Lana has moved with him through several stages of his career, including Greece.
The hardest chapter came in 2016, when his mother, Jeannette, died after a long illness. He was very close to her and has spoken about how much it mattered to stay near his family at that time. His father, Toy, who was born in Angola, has been one of the biggest influences on his football. It's one reason his career has always felt personal: some of his decisions were shaped by what was happening at home, not just by money or minutes.
Quick answers
Is Tonny Vilhena still at Panathinaikos?
Yes. He returned from his Alanyaspor loan in June 2025 and was listed in the first-team squad in August 2026.
When does his contract expire?
On 30 June 2027. No extension or transfer has been announced.
How much is Tonny Vilhena worth?
Icon Polls estimates his net worth at $5 million to $10 million, with a salary of roughly $2 million a year. Neither figure is official.
