Tyrell Malacia is preparing for his first senior tournament after being named in the 26-man Netherlands squad by Louis van Gaal, who guided his nation to a third-place finish in the 2014 World Cup.
The young defender became Erik ten Hag’s first signing at Manchester United earlier this summer and has enjoyed a decent start to life at Old Trafford, although poor form has seen him lose his place to Luke Shaw.
He is, nevertheless, expected to feature under Van Gaal at this winter’s tournament in Qatar and speaking ahead of their opening game against Senegal, Malacia has revealed he is relishing the opportunity to represent his country at the storied tournament.
“It’s a really big achievement,” he is quoted as saying by the official Manchester United website. “I think I can’t describe that for myself. It’s amazing.
“I think, of course, from the beginning when I won my first cap until now, they [the people back home] are so proud and really happy for me.
“Of course, he [van Gaal] knows a lot and he helps us a lot. He talks with us a lot and has a lot of experience for the younger players to know. We also have some guys in the team who have already played at the World Cup, so I think our team has a bit of everything, you know.
“It’s difficult because, in tournaments, you never know, you know, as the team who has the best day wins.”
SN’s verdict…
Playing at a World Cup is always a special moment but there’s added optimism in the Dutch camp, with this campaign marking their return to the tournament after missing the last finals.
The Netherlands failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and Malacia will now be aiming to be part of the group which avenged their heartbreaking 2014 semi-final loss to Argentina.
