Marciano Vink is impressed by Joey Veerman after his return to the Netherlands squad. Kenneth Perez, however, expects the midfielder to drop to the bench when Frenkie de Jong returns for the national team.
"Veerman is very important in this system," Vink said on Monday on Voetbalpraat. "There are so many messages in his passes. I like that. I think the Netherlands benefit from it."
For Vink, it helps Veerman enormously that Xavi is a coach with attacking intentions. "Things did happen. I'm a Veerman fan. I'd rather see this than that shuffling," the analyst says, pleased with the arrival of the Spanish coach.
Perez takes a much more critical view when the discussion turns to Veerman. "It just depends on what a national team coach finds important. He is a very specific player," says Perez, who immediately has an unpleasant message for the Borussia Dortmund player.
"If Frenkie comes back, Veerman won't play any more. Frenkie is the heart of the team. He is so much more, he dictates the rhythms, like Joshua Kimmich for Germany. You don't play for Barcelona year in, year out for nothing."
Even so, Vink sees De Jong as a player who is 'a thousand times' better than Veerman, but still prefers the man from Volendam. "Barcelona also signed Rodri because they also want those passes in between more often. I think the Netherlands now benefit from someone who can play a pass over 30 metres and a ball in behind the line. Frenkie does it with one in 50 passes, Veerman one in five."
Perez, for his part, is not ready to write off the recovering De Jong for the Netherlands. "We have to see how he comes back from his injury. I'm not writing him off."