National Coach Ronald Koeman Praised for Surprising Choice: 'You Always Need Him'

"I think it's perfectly logical that De Roon is included," Maduro tells Sportnieuws.nl. "We have very few defensive midfielders, especially ones playing in a major league. With Jerdy Schouten out, you need to find a similar type of player, and that automatically leads you to De Roon. Jordy Clasie could have been an option, but he no longer wanted to be part of it, so in that respect, it makes sense that De Roon was chosen."

The former Ajax, Valencia, and Sevilla player therefore finds the criticism surrounding De Roon's return to the Oranje squad puzzling. Some pundits consider it a sign of weakness that the experienced midfielder is recalled after a two-year absence, but Maduro disagrees. "I don't understand why he was ever out of contention," he continues. "As long as a player is performing well, they should always be considered. He's a reliable anchor, and you need that. Fortunately, he's in the squad."

According to Maduro, a player like De Roon is not only crucial against top nations but valuable in every match for the Oranje. "I believe you always need this type of player, even against weaker opponents. In top national teams, you always see one player who thinks defensively, allowing the rest to be creative. In my opinion, he's simply a very important player," states the 18-cap international.

De Roon's return to the Oranje squad after two years means there's no room for talented youngsters like Kees Smit and Luciano Valente. "I would have liked it if such players had a taste of the national team. However, it's not a school trip. It's about selecting players you are certain will perform, even in big matches. Someone like De Roon has already proven that," Maduro concludes.

The Oranje squad will report to Zeist on May 30th to begin preparations for the World Cup. First, a farewell match is scheduled: on June 3rd, the Netherlands will face Algeria in De Kuip. The team will then depart for the United States a day later.

Leading up to the World Cup, the Oranje will play one more friendly match on June 8th in New York, this time against Uzbekistan. The global tournament officially begins on June 11th, but the Netherlands will see their first action three days later. Japan is their first opponent in the group stage on June 14th. This will be followed by a clash with Sweden on June 20th, while Tunisia will be their final opponent in the group stage on June 26th.