Xavi wasted little time discussing Kees Smit in his first press conference as Netherlands head coach. The Spanish coach was officially unveiled in Zeist on Tuesday afternoon.
Asked by Valentijn Driessen whether he knows the AZ talent, Xavi replied: "Yes, I know him. The funny thing is that we actually analysed Kees Smit today and yesterday."
Smit could yet earn a call-up. "We still have three weeks to decide which players will be on the list, but I have already said that we have many young players with talent," said Xavi, who also built a reputation for giving young footballers chances during his time as Barcelona coach.
For Xavi, age will not decide his selection. "It makes no difference to me what someone is called or how old someone is. If a player performs, he will be selected."
He also pointed to his own breakthrough as a young player at Barcelona. "Van Gaal trusted me enormously when I was seventeen and eighteen years old. So why not?" said Xavi. "If someone is ready and we feel that a player is ready, we will not be afraid to use him."
Beyond Smit, Xavi also discussed several established names in the Netherlands squad. He revealed that he had already been in contact with Frenkie de Jong and Virgil van Dijk before his presentation. "I have spoken with Frenkie de Jong and with Virgil van Dijk," he said.
On Van Dijk's exact role, Xavi would not be drawn. "I have spoken with him, but I want to talk to him more. We will see."