Veerman hopes to end debate: 'Frenkie doesn't understand it either'

Veerman and De Jong impressed together in midfield for Netherlands against Greece, with Veerman hopeful their partnership has ended debate about their compatibility.

Joey Veerman started alongside Frenkie de Jong in the Netherlands midfield for the first time on Friday in a Nations League match against Greece, and the pair performed well together. The pairing had been questioned by some observers, but Veerman was confident they had answered the critics.

"I think the coordination with Frenkie went well," Veerman said after the match. "Why wouldn't two players who are good on the ball be able to play together? Of course we haven't played together before, so I understand the question marks, but hopefully they're gone now. This tastes like more."

Veerman was pleased with his own display and highlighted a key contribution to one of Tijjani Reijnders' goals, when he picked out Denzel Dumfries with an intelligent long ball. "When I get the ball there, Dumfries already knows he has to run. We've trained that a few times in these two international breaks," Veerman explained.

The Netherlands won the match convincingly, with Veerman noting the team created several beautiful goals and had plenty of movement between the lines.