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Expert Talks
(L-R) Alessandro Florenzi of Italy U21, Kevin Strootman of Holland U21, Mike van der Hoorn of Holland U21 during the UEFA EURO U21 championship semi-final match between Italy and Netherlands
“Strootman is an example, on and off the pitch, especially inside the lines. Off the pitch he has to learn some things, like speaking up. As a captain you have to be able to do that. That has to do with character, but you can also learn this. Maybe that’s his weakness. On the pitch you see that he stands up for his team, outside the pitch this can improve.”
—Louis Van Gaal, Dutch national team boss
“For PSV it would be good if he stays, but for Strootman himself it’s better to leave. This guy fits everywhere. He’s a fantastic player because he knows exactly what his qualities are. Strootman is nothing less than Gareth Barry. He’s a very useful player for every team. Especially when he’s surrounded by better players.”
—Dick Advocaat, ex-PSV Eindhoven manager, quoted by De Telegraaf
“Strootman is the leader of the new generation, someone who can still further develop as captain. He regularly speaks up on the pitch, both at PSV and with Netherlands. He will now get the chance to become more dominant off the pitch as well with Oranje. This benefits his development and it is a reward for his good performances”
—Dirk Kuyt, Dutch national team-mate
Transfer Situation
For the better part of the 2012/13 season, Kevin Strootman has been linked with a move to defending Premier League champions Manchester United. Many see him as a replacement for Paul Scholes, while also showing hints of Roy Keane in his football (my personal opinion is the latter). United look the most likely destination for Strootma; however, Napoli have also shown their interest according to his agent, Chiel Dekker. Some unconfirmed reports have also paired Strootman with a move to the red half of Milan, as the Rossoneri aim to tighten their defence with the loss of Ambrosini.
It’s interesting to note that Strootman is a client of Firsteleven ISM (Sports Management Agency), who own most of the young Dutch stars such as Adam Maher, Bruno Martins Indi & Gregory van der Wiel. Firsteleven ISM are the same agency that engineered Eden Hazard and Demba Ba’s moves to Chelsea.
A move looks imminent for Kevin Strootman, with the U-21 Championship also complete, one expects his future to be resolved soon.
