Tijjani Reijnders immediately became a starter at AC Milan after his summer move and he seems to have nailed down a place in the Netherlands line-up too.
Reijnders and the Netherlands qualified for the 2024 European Championship yesterday with a victory against Ireland, and the midfielder was very close to getting his name on the scoresheet as he hit the post. The former AZ Alkmaar man would play 89 minutes before being replaced.
Ronald Koeman lined the Oranje up in a 3-4-2-1 system which saw Reijnders as one of the deeper-lying midfielders in a double pivot, though he often found himself getting forward with marauding runs as Jerdy Schouten slid across to cover.
At the end of the match the Rossoneri midfielder spoke at the press conference, talking about the match and his experiences with the national team so far, with his comments relayed by PianetaMilan.
“I started as a controlling midfielder and had to serve the guys in front of me so they could free themselves between the lines. It worked well a few times thanks to me and Jerdy Schouten. Often we managed to free one of our team-mates,” he said.
“Last European Championship? We had to watch it remotely due to the Coronavirus, so my wife gave me some rest. You’ve already seen at the World Cup what we can bring in terms of energy, and the same goes for the European Championships.
“The new guys adapt quickly to the group, which is a great compliment. Everyone immediately feels at home, which creates confidence on the pitch.”
