Thursday, September 22, 2022 at 08:57• Jordi Tomasowa • Last update: 09:00

Ronald Koeman has praise for Georginio Wijnaldum. The 31-year-old midfielder broke his shin in August and was passed by national coach Louis van Gaal during the Nations League matches in June. Koeman, who will succeed Van Gaal after the World Cup in Qatar, believes that Wijnaldum will always belong to the Dutch national team.

Koeman officially succeeds Van Gaal on January 1, 2023 as national coach of the Dutch national team, but the the Dutch will only come into action for the first time next March under the 59-year-old coach. Koeman does not rule out selecting Wijnaldum then, provided the midfielder has fully recovered from his tibia fracture. “I don’t know how long he will be out, but it must be possible,” said Zaandammer, who was born in the Netherlands. General Newspaper. “When he is back in the picture and just plays at AS Roma, Wijnaldum is always a name that belongs to the Dutch national team.”

In the run-up to the Nations League match with Poland, Van Gaal indicated that he had sent Wijnaldum an app. Koeman also contacted the 86-time international of the Dutch. “Certainly, but I was always in touch with him. Of course I tried to bring him to Barcelona but failed because the president wanted to play with me more than bring in a player. That matter came to a halt for that reason and Wijnaldum then opted for Paris Saint-Germain. Otherwise he would have just played in Camp Nou. I have a good relationship with Gini and then you show interest and wish him a speedy recovery,” said Koeman.

Wijnaldum reacted to his situation on Tuesday for the first time since he was badly injured in AS Roma training at the end of August. The midfielder acknowledged in a video on his social media that he had had a tough week, but that he now feels combative. “I didn’t answer because I was very emotional and sad about my injury,” the Rotterdammer started in the video. “First of all I want to apologize for that. Second, I want to say that I feel good now. My recovery is going very well and I accept the situation as it is.”

Wijnaldum would like to thank everyone who supported him shortly after the news of his injury became known. In particular, he addressed the fans of Roma. “The support has strengthened me. I know it is very difficult for you because I have only just joined the club. We all had hopes that it would be a great season. But there is still time. I’m going I will do my best to get back as soon as possible and will keep you updated on its progress throughout my rehab,” Wijnaldum promised.