“Will only get better” – Manager praises Brighton player but refuses to guarantee him a starting berth just yet.

Ronald Koeman, the Netherlands manager, has showered praise on Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen but has reluctant to fully commit to him as his starting goalkeeper at Euro 2024.

The Netherlands manager responded to questions regarding his goalkeepers after the international break, as reported by Voetbalzone.

Koeman has yet to completely commit to who will be his goalkeeper at Euro 2024, having switched between many alternatives in the previous year or so.

Verbruggen, a Brighton goalkeeper, has been given the opportunity to impress, having initially broken through with Anderlecht before joining the Seagulls in the summer.

He’s been in and out under Roberto de Zerbi this season but is likely to be the long-term number one for Brighton moving forwards.

 

That is also the goal for the Netherlands, where he made his debut against France in October 2023 and has since played against Greece, Ireland, Gibraltar, and Germany.

The latter occurred in the Netherlands’ 2-1 defeat on Tuesday, and Koeman praised the Brighton player after the game, predicting big things for him in the future.

“I am very satisfied with both Mark (Flekken) and Bart,” he told me.

“It gives me great joy to have a goalie of this age who can manage the level decently, if not very well, and can only improve.

“We’ll have to wait and see till summer. It is obvious that there has been unhappiness among the goalkeepers, particularly owing to injuries. Ideally, you want a permanent starting goalie, as well as three permanent goalkeepers for international play.”

 

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