GdS: Reijnders to play leading role as the Netherlands kick off Euros adventure | OneFootball

Tijjani Reijnders and the Netherlands will kick off their Euros adventure this afternoon, taking on Poland at 15:00 CEST. The AC Milan man is set to play a leading role in midfield, having impressed a lot with the national team.

The midfielder arrived at Milan last summer in a €20m deal from AZ Alkmaar, becoming a fan favourite almost immediately. He made his debut for the Netherlands in September and hasn’t looked back since, now ready for the big games in Germany.

As highlighted by today’s edition of Gazzetta dello Sport (see photo below), Reijnders is crucial for the Netherlands and Ronald Koeman, able to play as a mezz’ala, playmaker and attacking midfielder. ” He has become great in a very short time, he cannot be left out,” Koeman has stated.

It’s even more evident today as the likes of Frankie de Jong, Teun Koopmeiners and Martin De Roon are on the sidelines with injuries. Reijnders will thus have a key role in the midfield and the manager believes in him a lot, expecting his through balls, vertical passing and even shooting ability.

While he only scored four goals in 50 games for Milan this past season, he has showcased his shooting ability before (one screamer for the Netherlands) and more consistency on this front is his next step.