bournemouth Star Justin Kluivert says Ronald Koeman has given each Netherlands player a clear understanding of their role ahead of this summer's World Cup, as competition for places in the talented Dutch midfield intensifies.
football zone cover comments Today the Dutchman, aged 27, is getting ready to kick off his campaign this weekend.
The battle for the Netherlands is going on
Justin Kluivert was a late addition to Koeman's group after undergoing knee surgery earlier this year. This led him to miss 18 matches for club and country and returned in early May.
Now he has arrived but will compete for few minutes in one of the strongest areas of the Netherlands team.
Koeman has no shortage of midfield options. In the Netherlands, Frenkie de Jong, Ryan Gravenberch and Tijjani Reijnders are widely seen as their strongest combination, leaving players like Kluivert to push for a starting role or a role off the bench.
Kluivert is well aware of the fight, even if there are questions over Rejenders after his difficult first season at Manchester City. Speaking to VanDag Inside, Kluivert said that Koeman was talking directly with the team about his plans.
"Koeman has talked to everyone about his role and how he sees things at the moment," he said.
"For the first game against Japan, but also for later in the tournament. So you can get a bit of an idea of your place in the team."
"He made it clear to me too. I accept my role in the team, and I give 100% in every role. You just have to prove yourself. You never get any guarantees (about playing time) from the manager."
offering something different
The Bournemouth forward is also more than aware of the talk about that dream midfield. But he believes having options like him is also beneficial for the Netherlands this summer.
“We know there is a lot of talk about a dream midfield: Frenkie, Gravenbirch and Tijani,” he said.
"We have other options like me. Maybe this could work better for the Dutch national team. But then again: we are all good players, so it's hard to say."
