The players of the Dutch national team took to the training ground on Friday donning the shirt of their first amateur club.
The idea came about by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) who called on all football fans to kit themselves out in the shirt of their former amateur club to highlight the social value of football.
All 25 members of Louis van Gaal’s squad got involved in the initiative that helped to officially kick off ‘National Football Day,’ which is similar to Non-League Day in England.
The squad assembled at the national team headquarters in Zeist for training, with the first fifteen minutes of training allowed to be recorded by the media.
The Netherlands are preparing for their Nations League clash with Poland on Saturday evening and are looking to extend their 100 per cent record in the competition following wins over Belgium and Wales.
Manchester City’s Nathan Ake got in on the act wearing the shirt of VV Wilhelmus whilst Tottenham’s Steven Bergwijn wore the shirt of his amateur club ASC Waterwijk.
Wantaway Burnley striker Wout Weghorst repped the colours of RKSV NEO and Manchester United midfield target Frenkie de Jong wore the shirt of ASV Arkel.
The Netherlands are building momentum ahead of the World Cup in Qatar later this year and are unbeaten since their Round of 16 defeat to Czech Republic at Euro 2020 last summer.
Player Club
Nathan Aké vv Wilhelmus
Steven Berghuis LAC Frisia 1883
Steven Bergwijn ASC Waterwijk
Daley Blind AFC
Jasper Cillessen De Treffers
Denzel Dumfries vv Smitshoek
Mark Flekken WDZ Bochholtz
Cody Gakpo EVV Eindhoven
Hans Hateboer Thos
Vincent Janssen SV TOP
Frenkie de Jong ASV Arkel
Davy Klaassen HVV de Zebra’s
Teun Koopmeiners Vitesse ’22
Noa Lang RSV HION
Matthijs de Ligt FC Abcoude
Tyrell Malacia Overmaas
Memphis Depay vv Moordrecht
Kjell Scherpen vv Emmen
Jerdy Schouten FC Vlotbrug
Guus Til SV Geinburgia
Jurriën Timber DVSU
Stefan de Vrij VV Spirit
Wout Weghorst RKSV NEO
Following the exit, Louis van Gaal took the reins for a third time as Netherlands manager, leading the side to World Cup qualification whilst topping their Nations League group ahead of Saturday’s third round of fixtures.
Central to the upturn in form has been De Jong who Van Gaal places his trust in and expects to be a key figure in Qatar.
Incoming Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag managed De Jong at Ajax and is said to be keen to link-up with the Barcelona midfielder as he begins his Old Trafford tenure.
Van Gaal recently told reporters that De Jong was worth far more than what United were willing to pay for him, doing the Premier League side no favours with negotiations.
Source: Talk Sport