Pascal Struijk has confirmed that he’ll represent the Netherlands rather than Belgium in international football if called up by Oranje.
With the Leeds defender being born in Belgium but having a Dutch father and growing up in the Netherlands, he is eligible to play for both national teams.
As he has caught the eye with his performances in England more and more, there has been growing discussion about which country he’ll ultimately represent.
Such discussions look set to come to an end now with the 23-year-old confirming that he’ll play for the Netherlands if he gets the chance, after being included in the Oranje provisional squad for the first time.
“If I’m selected, I’ll choose Oranje,” he told ESPN.
“It means a lot to me. It’s the first time I’ve been in the pre-selection at all. I was met by the media manager after the training and he told me the news.
“My phone was full of messages and then I felt like a small child. It is very nice to experience and now just hope that I am in the final selection.
“If I’m in that selection, I also choose the Netherlands. That’s my first choice.”
GBeNeFN
