Interesting article on the front page of the Dutch news site I read each day. He seems to be getting some attention...
First battle course part 2, then Van den Berg thinks about a chance at Liverpool
No, Louis van Gaal has not agreed to it, answers national coach Erwin van de Looi with a smile on his face, when it comes to his renewed Jong Oranje.
After being eliminated in the semi-finals of the European Championship against Germany, he had to say goodbye to the group of Teun Koopmeiners, Dani de Wit, Justin Kluivert, Noa Lang and so on.
Apart from a few well-known names, such as Myron Boadu and Sven Botman, they are mainly new faces in Zeist. Van de Looi has called up fifteen debutants.
The Dutch Juniors will start the new European Championship qualifying cycle on Tuesday evening at 6.45 pm. Young Moldova is the opponent in Deventer. The other opponents in the group are Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales and Gibraltar.
The group winner and the best number two qualify for the final round. Euro 2023 will be held in Georgia and Romania.
"The biggest difference with the previous batch is the type of players. In the previous group there were many wingers, boys who could play between the lines. But the great thing about this age is that it can suddenly go very quickly," says Van de Looi.
"On the other hand, there are many boys in this group who have played quite a few duels at the highest level. And where the core consisted of AZ players, there are now even more boys who play abroad."
A good example of this is Sepp van den Berg. Best known because he left PEC Zwolle to Liverpool at the age of seventeen. Two years later, he reports to Jong Oranje full of self-confidence and with considerable muscle mass.
"If I just see all those photos from two years ago... Then I was very small and flimsy," says the defender about himself. "I was seventeen, still living with my parents and my mother did everything for me at that time."
In England he is alone in that regard. His girlfriend is still studying in Utrecht. "I live on my own and have to cook for myself every night, clean myself. That is going better than expected. My cooking skills have clearly improved, my cleaning skills have not yet," he jokes.
Fighting course in Preston
He also makes strides as a player. That's mainly because he makes a lot of playing time in the Championship, the second tier in England, where he started his second season as a loaner at Preston North End.
"Fighting, fighting, fast pace, up and down, physically demanding." Van den Berg tries to describe the competition. "It is precisely in those areas that my biggest point for improvement lies. Playing football, you learn that at the Dutch football school, but fighting, I really learn that now."
Van den Berg follows the course of fighting at Preston North End as a wingback on the right. Call it Preston's Denzel Dumfries. Not his favorite position, but at his age, making minutes is the most important thing.
Van den Berg notices that he is becoming more talkative in the field, and that he is increasingly directing people. "That was also necessary. The step abroad has helped me in that. I have become better socially."
His contract with Liverpool, for which he made his debut in 2019 , will run until the summer of 2024. When he was at the club last summer for a medical check, he spoke with assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders, among others, about his development.
"They were satisfied then. And hopefully even more after this year. Actually, the plan was to participate in the preparation with the first of Liverpool this season, but I thought it was best to be rented out for another year."
His previous loan spell at Preston was as of February. "I quickly noticed what big steps you can take in six months of Championship. So I thought: if I play there for another year, I really have a chance at Liverpool."
In conversation with Van Dijk
That's his plan now: have another strong year and then fight for his chance in pre-season at Liverpool. There is, of course, a lot of competition there. Just think of that other Dutch defender: Virgil van Dijk.
When Van den Berg showed up at the Liverpool complex this summer, Van Dijk was still recovering from his injury, which forced him to miss the European Championship .
"Then we talked for a while. He asked me how I thought it went at Preston and told me that he thought it was a good choice, because making minutes is so important", Van den Berg stops talking for a while and forms a smile on his face.
"Who knows, I may be next to him next season. You should always keep dreaming."
First battle course part 2, then Van den Berg thinks about a chance at Liverpool
No, Louis van Gaal has not agreed to it, answers national coach Erwin van de Looi with a smile on his face, when it comes to his renewed Jong Oranje.
After being eliminated in the semi-finals of the European Championship against Germany, he had to say goodbye to the group of Teun Koopmeiners, Dani de Wit, Justin Kluivert, Noa Lang and so on.
Apart from a few well-known names, such as Myron Boadu and Sven Botman, they are mainly new faces in Zeist. Van de Looi has called up fifteen debutants.
The Dutch Juniors will start the new European Championship qualifying cycle on Tuesday evening at 6.45 pm. Young Moldova is the opponent in Deventer. The other opponents in the group are Switzerland, Bulgaria, Wales and Gibraltar.
The group winner and the best number two qualify for the final round. Euro 2023 will be held in Georgia and Romania.
"The biggest difference with the previous batch is the type of players. In the previous group there were many wingers, boys who could play between the lines. But the great thing about this age is that it can suddenly go very quickly," says Van de Looi.
"On the other hand, there are many boys in this group who have played quite a few duels at the highest level. And where the core consisted of AZ players, there are now even more boys who play abroad."
A good example of this is Sepp van den Berg. Best known because he left PEC Zwolle to Liverpool at the age of seventeen. Two years later, he reports to Jong Oranje full of self-confidence and with considerable muscle mass.
"If I just see all those photos from two years ago... Then I was very small and flimsy," says the defender about himself. "I was seventeen, still living with my parents and my mother did everything for me at that time."
In England he is alone in that regard. His girlfriend is still studying in Utrecht. "I live on my own and have to cook for myself every night, clean myself. That is going better than expected. My cooking skills have clearly improved, my cleaning skills have not yet," he jokes.
Fighting course in Preston
He also makes strides as a player. That's mainly because he makes a lot of playing time in the Championship, the second tier in England, where he started his second season as a loaner at Preston North End.
"Fighting, fighting, fast pace, up and down, physically demanding." Van den Berg tries to describe the competition. "It is precisely in those areas that my biggest point for improvement lies. Playing football, you learn that at the Dutch football school, but fighting, I really learn that now."
Van den Berg follows the course of fighting at Preston North End as a wingback on the right. Call it Preston's Denzel Dumfries. Not his favorite position, but at his age, making minutes is the most important thing.
Van den Berg notices that he is becoming more talkative in the field, and that he is increasingly directing people. "That was also necessary. The step abroad has helped me in that. I have become better socially."
His contract with Liverpool, for which he made his debut in 2019 , will run until the summer of 2024. When he was at the club last summer for a medical check, he spoke with assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders, among others, about his development.
"They were satisfied then. And hopefully even more after this year. Actually, the plan was to participate in the preparation with the first of Liverpool this season, but I thought it was best to be rented out for another year."
His previous loan spell at Preston was as of February. "I quickly noticed what big steps you can take in six months of Championship. So I thought: if I play there for another year, I really have a chance at Liverpool."
In conversation with Van Dijk
That's his plan now: have another strong year and then fight for his chance in pre-season at Liverpool. There is, of course, a lot of competition there. Just think of that other Dutch defender: Virgil van Dijk.
When Van den Berg showed up at the Liverpool complex this summer, Van Dijk was still recovering from his injury, which forced him to miss the European Championship .
"Then we talked for a while. He asked me how I thought it went at Preston and told me that he thought it was a good choice, because making minutes is so important", Van den Berg stops talking for a while and forms a smile on his face.
"Who knows, I may be next to him next season. You should always keep dreaming."
