Johan Derksen believes Joey Veerman is thriving under national coach Xavi. The 27-year-old midfielder had fallen out of Ronald Koeman's plans with the Netherlands, but on Sunday he finally returned to the starting XI for the Dutch national team.
After the European Championship in 2024, Koeman decided he no longer needed Veerman. The midfielder had not played since then until this international break.
Xavi brought him back into the squad. Veerman came off the bench against Germany (1-1) on Thursday, then started on Sunday in the 1-2 win over Serbia.
"Our man from Volendam, who was very much at loggerheads with Koeman, has now played twice under Xavi and is also doing surprisingly well at Dortmund," Derksen says in praise of Veerman in his podcast Greetings from Grolloo.
"Koeman criticised Veerman. He felt he did not fit in, and I did agree with that. Because Veerman is a fantastic footballer, but when possession is lost he does not join in. So then you are playing with ten against eleven. Koeman was irritated by that. But he is now proving Koeman a little wrong."
Derksen is also upbeat about the current national coach. "I am pleased for Xavi, whom I consider a serious football man with a great past, and not an irritating man in the way he presents himself. He is a very modest gentleman."
"I am pleased that he has come through this first weekend well. A 1-1 draw against Germany was an excellent result. Winning 1-2 against Serbia should really have been 1-5. But let's not complain about that. The Netherlands are showing something again. Things are getting better again."