Hugo Borst has been enjoying watching Bryan Linssen all season; he is one of the key players at third-placed NEC. The Algemeen Dagblad columnist is even calling for national team manager Ronald Koeman to call him up to the Dutch national team.
In his column on Monday, however, Borst is immediately a little cynical about Linssen, now 35: “But if we’re going to select mischievous lads for the Dutch national team, shouldn’t we also take the Benidorm Bastards along?” the football fan from Rotterdam wonders aloud.
Linssen is a 35-year-old player ‘whom we are all fond of’, Borst concludes shortly after NEC’s 2-0 victory over Excelsior. ‘He has never played for a representative team. His clubs in a row: Fortuna Sittard, MVV, VVV, SC Heracles, FC Groningen, Vitesse, Feyenoord, Urawa Red Diamonds and NEC.”
In Borst’s view, Linssen has not yet reached his peak despite his age. “His position is different from that of Kees Smit. He is a striker,” says Borst, who does expect one-time international Smit to remain in Koeman’s plans in the run-up to this summer’s World Cup.
Borst is somewhat concerned about the Oranje attack, particularly when compared to the top nations participating in the World Cup. “Linssen isn’t in a league of his own either, but you have to look closely, especially at the depth of the squad. His statistics are good. He has, which is rare in the Oranje, depth in his game. Bryan scores more than regularly and has an extremely high work ethic.”
“He’s clever, cunning, with subtle nudges, and indeed, I can already hear the Oranje staff saying: he didn’t get any further than a lost Conference League final,” Borst refers to the 2022 final, when Linssen’s Feyenoord lost 1-0 to AS Roma in the final. “And Linssen is amiable, cheerful, sociable, and a team player. Pretty much everything that Wout Weghorst lacks.”
Finally, Borst points out that Linssen, who is just 1.70 metres tall, is far stronger in the air than the 1.97-metre-tall Weghorst. “He’s someone I’d be happy to have in the team too. But if we’re going to be inclusive, national coach: why not give Bryan Linssen a chance?”