Ahead of Saturday’s game, Daryl Janmaat has been discussing his national team snub and last season at Newcastle with Dutch news outlet De Telegraaf.
Janmaat arrived on Tyneside last summer for £5million on the back of a brilliant World Cup performance – as Louis van Gaal’s first choice right-back. But just months later, Guus Hiddink took the reigns of the national side, who elected to drop Daryl – despite the Dutchman winning Newcastle’s Player of the Year award for the 2014/15 season.
The 26-year-old eventually worked his way back into Hiddink’s plans, only for Danny Blind to replace him as national team manager.
Recently, the 31-man pre-selection for the qualifiers against Turkey and Iceland were announced and Janmaat was not among the names, though Newcastle teammates Tim Krul, Gini Wijnaldum and Vurnon Anita were all listed.
When speaking to De Telegraaf, Daryl admitted he was disappointed: “It is clear that I am not included, such pre-selection is not there for nothing.
Of course I am disappointed about that, it speaks for itself.
“There is a new coach with a new vision and his own preferences. Apparently I’m not one of them. I will now once again have to fight back.
I could sit and cry in a corner but I will focus completely on Newcastle United.
“Last year I had a good season and I was ‘Player of the Year’. The only thing I can do is hold that level. Whether that is enough, I do not know. I cannot look into the head of the national coach.”
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