Orange’s preliminary selection for the World Cup in Qatar includes no fewer than 39 players. It is logical that there are many unusual names among them.

But one name really stands out for Jeroen Stekelenburg, the Orange reporter for the NOS. “Micky van de Ven really is Van Gaal’s rabbit in the top hat.”

“Other new players like Jeremie Frimpong, Sven Botman and Pascal Struijk were already in a pre-selection but Van de Ven was never in the picture.”

Many Dutch football fans will never see Van de Ven play. He never played in the Premier League. In August last year, he moved from FC Volendam, which was then playing in the Kitchen Champion Division, to Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg, which was then still managed by coach Mark van Bommel.

The 21-year-old, 1.93m tall defender from Wormer in North Holland has a permanent base in Wolfsburg, currently number thirteen in Germany. He hasn’t missed a minute in the Bundesliga this season.

“Van de Ven’s big advantage is that he’s left-footed,” says Stekelenburg. “Van Gaal definitely wants a left leg from the three central defenders in the base.” Right-footed central defenders like Joël Veltman and Jordan Teze, who were left out of the pre-selection, were therefore no competition for Van de Ven.

Blind no central option

The multifunctional Daley blind can also be used centrally in the rear. “But Van Gaal really sees him as a left-back,” says Stekelenburg. “That was also shown in the last international match against Belgium when Tyrell Malacia came on for Aké. Blind stayed on the left and Malacia played in the centre. Van Gaal just doesn’t think blind is a good way to play in cover against a good striker.”

Van Gaal selected at least three players for each position. At least 12 of the 34 field players in the pre-selection will not be going to the World Cup. “You can say that in every position someone will lose weight,” says Stekelenburg.

“And so Van de Ven certainly has a chance to go to Qatar. Aké is a safe position on the left central defender position. Behind it lies between Botman and Van de Ven. With Struijk as an outsider, he can play both left-back and central. .”

‘You can enter most names like this’

Van Gaal will present his final line-up on November 11th. Van de Ven and Botman have exactly three weeks to convince the national coach. The same applies, of course, to other cases of doubt in the pre-selection.

According to Stekelenburg, there are not very many. “In the coming weeks it will be about the last places. Will Wout Weghorst join as pinch bat or Luuk de Jong? And Van Gaal will also want to bring a quick attacker who can cause a bit of an upset as a substitute like Memphis Depay did at the World Cup in Brazil.”

“Arnaut Danjuma and Noa Lang are potential candidates for the role but they haven’t played much, partly due to injuries. The coming weeks will be crucial for them.”