New Netherlands international Crescencio Somerville has praised it highly leeds unitedBecause he is ready to play for his country in the World Cup.
NU.nl reports the 24-year-old's comments today From a press conference with the Dutch national team.
world cup dream
Despite never playing for his country, the West Ham United star is set to play for the Netherlands at the World Cup this summer.
He was a surprise inclusion in Ronald Koeman's squad for the tournament a week earlier and earned a place in the group after beating Liverpool's Jeremy Frimpong.
it's a reward He went on to have an impressive season with the Hammers, despite their relegation to the Championship, and was, he believes, a boyhood dream come true.
"I wrote that I want to make it to the World Cup," he said.
"I thought: 24 is a good age for the World Cup. (It's) a childhood dream come true."
"At that time (March) the national coach said I had to stay fit and do my work. Still, it was a surprise that I was included."
Leeds' decision paid off
International recognition is the next step for a winger who has never chosen the easy path. This included leaving his family in Rotterdam in 2020 when he decided to move to Leeds United.
He returned to Feyenoord that summer after a loan spell at ADO Den Haag but decided to move on rather than stay where he was. It was a big decision for the 19-year-old player at that time.
"It was tough," he admitted.
"At Leeds, they did everything they could to make me feel like a family. That always inspired me to keep going. I knew what I was in for."
Raphinha effect
He eventually developed into a key player at Elland Road, transforming from a dynamic dribbler into a goalscoring winger. This allowed him to score 19 goals as Leeds secured promotion in the 2023/24 campaign.
This improvement came after an effort to focus more on the numbers. Current Barcelona star Raphinha played a key role in that selection. At one point Somerville was behind the Brazilian in the pecking order at Leeds.
He concluded, "I was behind him in the pecking order at Leeds. He showed what you have to do in terms of hard work."
"When I recently saw him in the top ten of the Ballon d'Or, I thought: I too can achieve something like that."
