Netherlands showcase new, young talent in win over Spain
Wednesday 1 April 2015 17:10, UK
Netherlands coach Guus Hiddink went with an inexperienced line-up against Spain on Tuesday, and it paid off as they picked up a 2-0 friendly win.
The 1-1 draw with Turkey last Saturday leaves Hiddink’s men five points adrift of second-placed Iceland in Group A of the European Qualifiers, but a morale-boosting victory over the reigning European champions has given the Dutch cause for hope.
Only three wins in their eight matches since the World Cup is not up to Hiddink’s high standards, but he was encouraged by the display from a side boasting a lot of burgeoning talent.
From debutants to well-established youngsters, Oliver Yew and Tom McKeown look at seven of the Dutch national side's hot prospects...
Netherlands XI: Vermeer, Janmaat, De Vrij, Martins Indi, Willems, Klaassen, Blind, Sneijder, Narsingh, Huntelaar, Depay.
Kenneth Vermeer – Caps: 4
Vermeer made over 100 appearances for Ajax during a 14-year career at the Amsterdam ArenA but now plies his trade with Feyenoord.
The 29-year-old goalkeeper has a big fan in the form of Louis van Gaal and he’s another Dutchman the former Holland boss tried to bring to Old Trafford with him last summer.
The move did not work out as Vermeer had already given his word to Feyenoord about moving to De Kuip, but that move has paid dividends after he was handed his another chance at international level by Guus Hiddink.
Bas Dost – Caps: 1
The 25-year-old, who made his first appearance for the Netherlands in the win over Spain, has shot to prominence this season after firing in 15 goals for high-flying Wolfsburg.
Despite being 10 points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, Dost’s goals have all but guaranteed his club’s route into next season’s Champions League and they have a Europa League quarter-final against Napoli to look forward to .
His performances, which saw him hit 11 goals in just six matches at the start of 2015, have attracted admiring glances from all around Europe but in particular the Premier League with Swansea, Southampton, Newcastle and Stoke all tracking the player.
Davy Klaassen – Caps: 2
The 22-year-old has to wait over a year between his first and second caps, but marked his return to the international side with his first goal for the Netherlands in the 2-0 victory in Amsterdam on Tuesday night.
A host of Premier League clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham have previously been linked with a move for Klaassen, but he appears to be happy with life in the Netherlands.
A talented attacking midfielder, Klaassen has worked his way through the youth ranks at Ajax and is now a mainstay in the Eredivisie side’s line-up, having played every minute of their Champions League campaign this season, scoring two goals as they came third in a tough group behind Barcelona and PSG.
Bruno Martins Indi – Caps: 26
The 23-year-old is not a new name to the Dutch national side having been a regular at last summer’s World Cup under Van Gaal.
An academy of the Feyenoord youth system, Martins Indi was heavily linked for a move to Old Trafford with Van Gaal but joined Porto for £6m and has been a key figure in the Portuguese side’s run to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
His performances have captured the eye of Southampton boss Ronald Koeman, who gave him his debut at Feyenoord, with Saints heavily linked for a future move but first and foremost his focus will be on Porto’s bid for league and European glory.
Georginio Wijnaldum – Caps: 16
The 24-year-old is another product of the youth system at Feyenoord and holds the record for the youngest player to represent the club after making his Eredivisie debut against FC Gronigen at 16 years and 148 days.
The attacking midfielder, who was linked with a move to Liverpool in January, has since moved to PSV and was named club captain last season.
This year he has been in excellent form, firing 10 goals for Phillip Cocu’s side as they sit on the brink of a first Eredivisie title since 2008.
Jetro Willems – Caps: 13
Another young PSV talent, the left-back became the youngest player at a European Championships when he featured for the Netherlands at Euro 2012. He played in all three group games, but it was a tournament to forget for the national side as they lost all three and crashed out.
Manchester City were linked with a move for the full-back in 2013, but a proposed swap deal involving John Guidetti eventually fell through, while rivals Manchester United opted to sign Luke Shaw instead.
Willems earned the unwanted record of picking up the fastest red card in Eredivisie history, getting his marching orders after just 29 seconds against NAC Breda, although it was later rescinded.
Luciano Narsingh – Caps: 10
Things were looking very rosy for the winger three years ago when, at Heerenveen, he registered a league-high 22 assists. Fulham were reportedly interested in signing him, but he ended up moving to PSV in the summer of 2012.
He picked up A serious knee injury that Christmas and, when he returned to the side months later, Dick Advocaat had been replaced at the helm by Cocu, who didn’t want to take a gamble on him.
He also missed the 2014 World Cup but capped a superb return at the start of the current campaign, netting in a 3-1 win over Ajax, and he has enjoyed a much more stable season, making 36 appearances for club and country.
