Former Netherlands star Ronald de Boer has made a positive prediction for Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek.
Van de Beek, 24, joined United last summer after making a £35.1m move from Dutch side Ajax.
Despite initial excitement surrounding the Red Devils’ summer signing, the 2020-21 season did not quite go to plan for the young midfielder.
Resigned mostly to a spot on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s bench, van de Beek started just one Premier League game last season.
However, despite the relentless surrounding whether or not the midfielder has a place to play in Solskjaer’s first-team plans moving forward, compatriot and Dutch legend de Boer believes the 24-year-old’s time will come.
Speaking recently to Sky Sports, when asked for his thoughts on van de Beek’s current plight, de Boer, as quoted by MEN, said: “I hear in training, he does well, so there is still the confidence there but of course you want to play regularly.
“You can’t play every game, but what he did this year was not what he had in mind.
“I’m confident in the boy, I know him a little bit, I trained him in his youth, he’s a great character, he’s a cool boy, he knows what he wants. Even in the European Championship, you might see the real Donny van de Beek.
“I always use the example with [Mauricio] Pellegrino in Barcelona, my ex-teammate. He didn’t play well in our team and everyone thought he was a terrible defender and then he goes to Valencia and plays two Champions League finals.
“Sometimes it doesn’t fit your jacket, but sometimes somewhere else it does fit. I think he needs to find out himself and make the right choice but I’m confident we’re going to see the real Donny van de Beek soon.”
Van de Beek, who is managed internationally by de Boer’s brother, Frank, has been included in his country’s Euros squad.
With the Netherland’s first group game set to kick off on 13 June against Ukraine, van de Beek will be hoping he can put in a tournament to remember.
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