Joey Veerman has turned heads in Germany with his performance in Friday's Netherlands v Greece match (7-0). In an opinion piece in BILD, the midfielder is described as Borussia Dortmund's new leader.
"He may be Borussia Dortmund's biggest surprise. In a short time, the Dutchman has gone from a signing brought in late in the summer to the de facto leader of Dortmund's midfield," the German newspaper says in high praise of the Netherlands international.
BILD explains why Veerman has become so important to Dortmund coach Niko Kovac. "Veerman is not only an excellent passer, but also a real hard worker."
"In the 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich, the midfielder covered more than 13 kilometres. Only Bayern stars Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic ran further," it says of Veerman's Bundesliga displays. "But Veerman's greatest strength is his control of the ball."
Veerman made 346 passes in his first eight Bundesliga matches. "Of those, 309 reached a team-mate. That amounts to an impressive pass completion rate of 89.3 per cent. This makes him one of Dortmund's most accurate midfielders when it comes to passing."
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The newspaper also credits the Dutchman with helping Jobe Bellingham perform better. "The Englishman can make use of his attacking qualities further forward because Veerman directs play behind him. The Dutchman brings structure to the build-up, is constantly available for a pass and gives his team-mates the reassurance they need."
"While Veerman directs Dortmund's play from deep, Bellingham has more freedom to make his moves towards the opposition goal," it says of the former PSV player's importance to Dortmund's attacking play.
According to the German newspaper, Veerman is more than worth the €22 million Dortmund paid. "Few had expected him, of all people, to become the driving force so quickly."
"He has now become one of the most important players in Kovac's system. Veerman directs play, takes responsibility and sets a good example, defensively too," says BILD.