Louis van Gaal called up Vincent Janssen for the Dutch national team five years after a tip-off from his assistant Danny Blind. “Danny often chose him as national coach and then scored a lot of goals,” said the 70-year-old Orange coach. “Danny started to follow him again, we follow forty to fifty players. He was in the shadows. The point is that I want to see this kind of attacker in the Dutch national team.”
The 27-year-old has only scored a goal in 15 league matches for his club, Monterrey, in the Mexican league this season. “I watched his last matches in Mexico and he did things that I think are a striker. But he also has solid feet,” Van Gaal pointed out to Jansen’s sometimes wrong assumptions about the ball. “I would have preferred him to have soft feet. This sticks to him. So, I don’t know if he would.”
Janssen won’t report to Orange until June 7. Two days ago, he married his current girlfriend. “I think he should get married and spend his wedding night with his wife,” Van Gaal said. “I’m a normal person who appreciates the human side too.”
Janssen is preferred over Brian Broby, one of the Ajax strikers. But do you know why that is, Van Gaal said. “I’m the national coach for the whole of the Netherlands. And also Young Orange. They can qualify for the European Championship. This is very important for the development of young players. That’s why Roby is with Young Orange, just like guys like Lutsharel Geertruida, Sven Botman and Mitchell Bakker.”
The Netherlands opened the new edition of the Nations League on 3 June with a match against Belgium. Wales plays Cardiff on June 8. This is followed by home matches with Poland (11 June) and Wales (14 June) in De Koep.
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Schouten debuted at Orange Choice, and Janssen returned five years later
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