@awaraThe Dutch Rodri shout lands harder once you trace the whole arc. Ronald Koeman had left Joey Veerman out of the Netherlands squad, and Xavi Hernández brought him right back in. Then came Germany, where Veerman entered the match and did enough for Xavi to single him out afterward: "In the second half it was mainly Joey, who played very well..." From there he turned into the most important asset in the Netherlands XI under Xavi and locked down a starting spot. At club level it's the same story, because he's become a key component of Borussia Dortmund's midfield while BVB opened the Bundesliga with four wins from four. Tempo, vision and progressive passing are the strengths that possession-heavy sides are always hunting for, and he checks every box. Watching him, the game just seems simple, because he's constantly scanning and constantly finding the next pass before anyone else sees it. Probably the best midfielder of the season so far

@awaraThe Dutch Rodri shout lands harder once you trace the whole arc. Ronald Koeman had left Joey Veerman out of the Netherlands squad, and Xavi Hernández brought him right back in. Then came Germany, where Veerman entered the match and did enough for Xavi to single him out afterward: "In the second half it was mainly Joey, who played very well..." From there he turned into the most important asset in the Netherlands XI under Xavi and locked down a starting spot. At club level it's the same story, because he's become a key component of Borussia Dortmund's midfield while BVB opened the Bundesliga with four wins from four. Tempo, vision and progressive passing are the strengths that possession-heavy sides are always hunting for, and he checks every box. Watching him, the game just seems simple, because he's constantly scanning and constantly finding the next pass before anyone else sees it. Probably the best midfielder of the season so far