For players involved with the 24 nations who’ll be at the Euro 2024 finals, time is beginning to run out when it comes to winning a seat on the plane to Germany in June.
As ever with major tournaments, there may be some late bolters who emerge from seemingly nowhere to earn a call-up for the big show, and one man on Liverpool’s books is hoping that’s the case for him.
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Sepp van den Berg, who’s currently on loan at Mainz, was speaking to Voetbal Primeur when he gave his take on his prospects of featuring in Netherlands’ squad for the finals this summer.
The 22-year-old said: “I don’t think they’re going to call me, but you never know.”
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Van den Berg is benefitting from regular game-time with Mainz, having played in every single minute of their Bundesliga campaign since the start of December and earned 23 starts in all this season (Transfermarkt).
However, he’s yet to even earn a senior call-up for Netherlands, never mind win a first cap, and he’s left hoping that Ronald Koeman will spring a surprise by selecting him among the 23-man Oranje pick for Euro 2024.
The Liverpool defender has been somewhat in international limbo over the past few months, being just 12 days overage to be eligible for next year’s European Under-21 Championships, with the last of his eight caps at that age grade coming in June 2023 (Transfermarkt).
Between now and the end of May, all Van den Berg can do is consistently perform to his best for Mainz, in the hope that it might just be enough for Koeman to make him a wildcard selection for his country’s squad for the Euros in June.