In an interview with ESPN, Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen has said he will be ‘disappointed‘ if he is not the sides number one choice in goal for the EURO 2024 tournament in Germany. Head coach of the Oranje Ronald Koeman has named four goalkeepers in his preliminary squad for the tournament. It appears that Koeman is keeping his cards close to his chest. During the interview the young Verbruggen said ‘Am I the first choice? I do not know. You have to ask the national coach about that’. The goalkeepers named in the preliminary squad are:
- GK: Nick Oij (Sparta Rotterdam)
- GK: Bart Verbruggen (Brighton)
- GK: Mark Flekken (Brentford)
- GK: Justin Bijlow (Feyenoord)
Verbruggen made 21 Premier League appearances for Brighton this season, keeping four clean sheets and conceding 28. He also played three times in the Europa League. The 21-year-old former Anderlecht goalkeeper has made five appearances for the Dutch national team, including the full 90 during their last friendly against rivals Germany.
Of the other options, 30-year-old Flekken kept seven clean sheets for Brentford, conceding 63 goals in 37 games. He has won seven caps for the national team and played 90 minutes during the 4-0 friendly win over Scotland in March. Bijlow played 17 games for Feyenoord this season and has eight caps for the Oranje, while Nick Oij had a strong season with Sparta and has yet to be capped at international level.
GBeNeFNÂ |Â Ben Jackson
