🇳🇱 Euro 2022 Player to Watch: Vivianne Miedema | OneFootball

See the other players we’ve selected so far here.

Netherlands go into Euro 2022 aiming to defend their crown after coming away victorious on home soil in 2017.

Expectations and hopes might be smaller for the country as they head to England after losing the mastermind behind that victory, Sarina Wiegman, to the host nation.

The Euros success was followed by a runners-up placing at the 2019 World Cup and although there isn’t the same noise around this current squad, there is still an array of talent that could give the holders a fighting chance of retaining the trophy.

And one player that fulfils that talented criteria is Vivianne Miedema.

The 25-year-old is the complete centre-forward, capable of scoring worldies from long range, tap-ins, finishes with her right foot, left foot or head and from all angles.

Miedema is her country’s all-time top goalscorer with 92 goals in 108 caps, a remarkable tally which has been filled with crucial contributions on the big stage.

In 2015, she scored three times over two legs to seal the Netherlands’ place in the World Cup finals after a 3-2 aggregate win over Italy in the play-offs.

Her strike in the 3-0 semi-final victory against England helped book their place in the Euro 2017 final, where she bagged twice against Denmark to help make history.

Then there was the small matter of breaking the most goals scored at an Olympics tournament record in 2021, where she netted 10 times in four games.

However, the Arsenal striker also experienced heartbreak in Tokyo, something which could be driving her case for a second Euros success this summer.

It was her missed penalty in the shoot-out against the United States which saw the Netherlands eliminated in the quarter-finals.

“It’s a privilege to work with Viv because she’s the top scorer in the world right now and the most natural I’ve ever worked with,” national team head coach Mark Parsons said, aware of the talent he has on his hands.

“It’s also interesting from a manager’s point of view because it makes you wonder where she can best be used and how she best influences the game.

“Viv isn’t just the best in the penalty area, she’s also the best at distribution and playmaking. She’s absolutely world class in all three areas.”

If she shows her world class ability this summer then the Netherlands will be in with a serious shout of achieving success again.