Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk has confirmed that Netherlands is his ‘first choice’ country at international level. Struijk has been named in Louis van Gaal’s provisional squad for the upcoming international break for the first time ever in his career.
The 23-year-old was eligible to represent Belgium due to his place of birth, though that is no longer possible due to a reported problem with his passport. Belgium boss Roberto Martinez had previously expressed his interest in Struijk last year, but conceded that his ‘heart lies with the Netherlands.’
And now after consistent Premier League minutes for two seasons, and a positive start to the new campaign despite being played out of position, Struijk has finally been rewarded. Speaking in an interview with ESPN, he claimed that Netherlands has always been his first choice and opened up on how he first found out he made the provisional squad.
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“That’s [Belgium] now off the table. At the time I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. Then I considered everything, but the Netherlands is my first choice.
“It means a lot to me. It’s the first time I’m even in the preselection [provisional squad]. I was met by the media manager after the training and he told me the news. My phone was full of messages and then I felt like a little kid.
“It’s very nice to experience and now let’s hope that I’ll be in the final selection soon. If I am in that selection, I will also choose the Netherlands. That’s my first choice.”
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