Sven Botman's future in the Netherlands setup may now be under threat after the Newcastle United defender withdrew from the Under-21s on Tuesday to focus on his new club. The 22-year-old was an unused substitute in Newcastle's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth on Saturday and looks to be behind Dan Burn in the pecking order on Tyneside.
Botman once again missed out on a place in Louis van Gaal's senior Netherlands side for the upcoming international break and has now taken the decision to pull out of upcoming friendlies against Belgium and Romania for the Under-21 side.
Manager Erwin van de Looi has now spoken out about the withdrawal, admitting while he understands Botman's decision, it won't be a convenient one for the central defender going forward.
READ MORE: Sven Botman walks away from Holland U21 camp to focus 'exclusively' on Newcastle United
"I had telephone contact with Sven. We’ve talked about it. Of course I accept his decision, but I don’t understand him," Van de Looi told Voetbal International. "It’s everyone’s free choice to come here, but I was disappointed with that announcement, that’s for sure.
"We are preparing for a European Championship, you would like to have everyone there. You also hope that everyone likes to come, but if they don't, they don't. Everyone has their free choice. But I don't think it's too convenient for him either.
"You are working on something together and that sometimes includes friendly matches. I think you should be part of that if you are part of the group and that you should not cancel too easily. On the other hand, I'm quite simple: you have to want to come and otherwise you don't. So we're going to keep going with the guys we have."
Botman's decision to return to Newcastle comes hours after Van Gaal opted not to pick a replacement for senior defender Bruno Martins Indi. The Alkmaar defender, 30, picked up an injury in the Dutch top flight but won't have his spot taken by Botman or any other Dutch Under-21 defender in the coming days.
Botman is now focusing his energy on ensuring he wins his spot back at Newcastle. Speaking on Saturday, Eddie Howe admitted Burn is currently getting the nod due to his leadership skills.
"Sven is going to be an outstanding player and will play many, many games for this club," he said. "We love him to bits, but Dan just gets the nod at the moment."
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