Joshua Zirkzee is with the Netherlands international squad. Here is a look into how it has been going so far.
After an injury to Brian Brobbey, the Netherlands decided to call Joshua Zirkzee into their international squad at the end of last week.
Joshua Zirkzee was a surprise addition considering his lack of game time at Manchester United; he has played only 98 minutes of game time this season. He has also not played for the Netherlands since 2024.
Discussing Zirkzee’s call-up, ESPN analyst Hans Kraay Jr gave an endorsement. He suggests the United forward’s style may appeal to new coach Xavi.
He explained: “He is not a real goalscorer. He is more of a ‘9.5’ than a true ‘9’. In Spain, national team coaches sometimes prefer a ‘9.5’. I hear Xavi talking a lot about passion and intensity.
“He is a wonderful, technically gifted footballer. To throw out a coaching term: with him, you can play some great passing football. So if you like football played on the ground, Zirkzee is not a strange choice at all.”
Xavi explained Zirkzee choice
Xavi spoke at a press conference before the Netherlands’ game away to Serbia, and his comments appeared to underline what Kraay Jr had suggested.
“He has qualities that fit well with our system and our philosophy. He is a good focal point and can be very important. I like him very much as a player. We discussed all sorts of things yesterday and I think he can do a lot for us.’
“Our number 9 needs to have a good bond with the rest and he needs to be technically strong. I really like Zirkzee in that regard. I think he can help the team. He has really good qualities.”
Wait for Zirkzee
Zirkzee had one training session with the team prior to their flight to Serbia on Saturday. It was not enough to force his way into the team’s immediate plans.
The Netherlands won 2-1 away at Serbia, with Zirkzee an unused substitute. AZ Alkmaar striker Mexx Meerdink started and scored two goals.
Being an unused substitute is a familiar circumstance for Zirkzee. However, his late call-up provides some mitigating circumstances for this fixture.
There are two games left of this international break, with the Netherlands set to face Greece away and Serbia at home. There is a chance that Zirkzee gets some game time in the upcoming matches.
If he doesn’t, it’s not the end of the world either. Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo started the game and was forced off after 17 minutes after suffering an injury.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/wad6MuA