New Man United, Donny van de Beek, has the chance to make a real name for himself at Old Trafford, and the Dutchman has explained who he looked up to as a young player.
The Red Devils’ squads have been peppered with Dutch players and so perhaps it’s no surprise that three of them were an inspiration for the young van de Beek.
“I watched United a lot [when I was younger],” he told Inside United magazine, cited by the official Man United website.
“Because a lot of Dutch players have played here and this was nice to watch if you’re a young kid and you see the Dutch players there.
Daley [Blind], Edwin [van der Sar], Robin van Persie… you see them. They won a lot of titles and United always played nice football, which was always good to see.
The midfielder joins the club at a time when there is a feeling that a renaissance may be just around the corner.
Indeed, van de Beek’s signing will form part of that strategy, and if they’re able to add one or two more big names before the end of the transfer window, United will have a strong squad able to challenge on all fronts.
Given van de Beek’s obvious willingness to do well, there’s every chance that he will cement his own legacy at Old Trafford, and be spoken about in the same reverential tones as his own idols in future.