Borussia Dortmund's Joey Veerman has credited his move to the Bundesliga side for the revival of his international career with the Netherlands.
The 27-year-old has been summoned by new Dutch manager Xavi for their upcoming UEFA Nations League games which marks his return to the international stage for the first time in over two years.
He made his debut with the Oranje in June 2023 and since garnered a total of 16 caps with the side, including six at Euro 2024. But soon after that, Veerman's Netherlands career came to a standstill.
A fall-out with Koeman saw him get frozen out of the Dutch squad since the Euro semi-final loss to England in July 2024, over two years ago.
But following his promising displays with Dortmund, Veerman received a call-up to Netherlands' squad again under Xavi, who begins his tenure as their new head coach tonight against Germany.
Speaking to ESPN, he said (via GOAL):
"I made a great transfer, and now it is a new beginning for me with the Dutch national team. So why would I look back on that? There is absolutely no point. That transfer to Dortmund has been amazing for me."
Signed on a €22 million transfer from PSV Eindhoven last month, Veerman signed a five-year contract with Die Borussen that runs through June 2031.
He was brought in as their new holding midfielder, tasked with controlling the tempo and providing some much-needed balance between the attack and the defense.
Just seven games in, and Veerman already appears right at home, with his remarkable adaptation to German football also impressing some of his fiercest critics.
The Dutchman's midfield exploits has also yielded an assist after teeing up Fabio Silva in their 5-0 drubbing of HEBC in the DFB-Pokal.
Veerman had also spoken of the stark contrast in the demands of the German league as compared to the Dutch league, where he had spent his entire career until the BVB transfer. He feels the quality of Bundesliga football is better, even when playing against promoted sides such as Paderborn.
The midfielder said:
"It's different training, different intensity. You do notice now that it is different in the German league. Playing at home against Paderborn is different from playing at home with PSV against lower teams in the Eredivisie."
It will be interesting to see what Joey Veerman can pull off in his potential appearance with the Netherlands tonight.
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