Dutch pair Jerdy Schouten and Denzel Dumfries shared their hopes for newcomer Joshua Zirkzee during a media session on Friday afternoon, ahead of their EURO2024 opener on Sunday night.
After a minor hamstring injury forced Brian Brobbey out of contention, it was announced on Wednesday that Joshua Zirkzee would join the Netherlands camp in Germany. The Bologna forward has been welcomed into the squad as they aim to progress from Group D.
By joining the national camp, Zirkzee has reunited with long-time teammate Jerdy Schouten. The pair first met while playing at ADO Den Haag, a second-tier Dutch side near The Hague, and would commute to training together. They also played together at Bologna.
“I have known [Joshua] for a long time. He only gets better every year, and his level is already really high,” Schouten said in a press conference. “He can be really, really good, I know that better than anyone. I prefer not to compare him with other players, but he has the potential to be a world-class player.”
Schouten continued, “I think it is logical that he is here, the coach thinks so too… I expect a lot from him… Joshua is beautiful to watch as a player.”
Inter Milan forward Denzel Dumfries added that the call-up is “a nice honour” for Zirkzee. “It’s good that he’s here,” he said. While 28-year-old Dumfries has 53 caps to his name, EURO2024 will be Schouten’s first experience of an international tournament.
“I’m really looking forward to being on the field and experiencing what it feels like to play in a European Championship,” Schouten said. “I am expecting a lot from it, it’s the highest stage.”
The Netherlands’ EURO2024 campaign will kick off on Sunday, where the Oranje will face Poland at the Volksparkstadion. After reaching just the round of 16 in 2021, the bar is not set high for the Dutch team to improve on their most recent efforts – and their initial opponents will be without star striker Robert Lewandowski.
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