In his basic debut under Louis van Gaal, Marten de Roon was immediately awarded ‘the most important position on the field’, as Van Gaal described it. In the 1-0 Nations League match against Belgium, the midfielder played the entire game at 6. De Roon thinks it is perfectly logical that he is not in the first eleven, and that he normally has to tolerate Frenkie de Jong.
De Roon played the full ninety minutes against Belgium and was able to prove himself in De Jong’s place, as a controlling midfielder. Before the game, the national coach called this the most important position on the field. “I am glad that I have now gained confidence there,” De Roon told the newspaper NOS. “I spoke to the trainer this week and he immediately gave me confidence.”
Last Thursday, in the 0-2 Nations League match against Poland, De Roon was also the replacement for De Jong, when the latter retired with an injury. “Then you have to stand there,” the trainer told me. Yes, I hadn’t played much under him. Did it make me despondent? No. It can also be an addition. Someone who doesn’t always grumble, gives one hundred percent and waits for his chance. The trainer has been clear.”
The Atalanta Bergamo midfielder is realistic and also knows that a fit De Jong is always preferred over him. “I understand that Frenkie is number one. Look, I’m not Frenkie de Jong, but I do think I can add something when he’s not there. Even if he is there, for example when defending a lead.”
Despite the win against the Belgians, the Dutch’s game was nothing to write home about. According to De Roon, converting such a match into a win is also a quality. “It wasn’t great today (Sunday September 25, ed.), but we didn’t lose either. We struggled with the pressure on the ball. On the other hand, Belgium only created opportunities because of our sloppiness. So we can also win in an ugly way, that gives confidence towards the World Cup. And if you stay undefeated there…”, he concluded confidently. De Roon was good for 51 passes against Belgium, 29 of which in Belgium’s half. Fifty of all his passes came to a fellow player. So far, De Roon has played 28 international matches.