Sunderland Star ‘Has Talent’, ‘Will Become The Best’ – Journalist Backs Black Cat At World Cup | OneFootball

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Dutch journalist Johan Derksen has cast doubt over the Netherlands’ goalkeeping options at the World Cup, although he believes Sunderland shot-stopper Robin Roefs does have real talent and ‘will become the best’ of the current crop.

Roefs earned his first Netherlands cap earlier this month, coming on at half-time in a 1-0 defeat to Algeria and conceding the game’s only goal late on.

The Oranje rounded off their World Cup warm-up schedule with a 2-1 victory over Uzbekistan, but the Black Cats goalkeeper was left watching on from the bench.

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The 23-year-old is competing with Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen and Bayer Leverkusen’s Mark Flekken for the gloves, with the pair boasting 30 and 12 international appearances, respectively.

For the Netherlands’ World Cup opener against Japan on Sunday, Ronald Koeman stuck with Verbruggen between the posts despite calls from one Eredivisie forward for Roefs to be given his chance.

Verbruggen was beaten twice as the Dutch were held to a 2-2 draw, with a late Japanese equaliser denying Koeman’s side all three points.

Derksen subsequently delivered a critical assessment of the goalkeeping options, arguing that none of the three can currently be regarded as established internationals.

Robin Roefs at international level

While he acknowledged the Sunderland star’s talent and backed him to develop into the strongest of the group, he stressed that the 23-year-old still has considerable experience to gain.

He also questioned whether Roefs is ready for such responsibility at this stage and expressed little confidence in Flekken.

Derksen was quoted as saying on Vandaag Inside: “I find it quite pathetic… We brought three goalkeepers and not one of those three is a real international.

“That Roefs has talent, he will become the best, but he still needs to gain experience.

“This green bean [Verbruggen] doesn’t convince me, and I don’t think much of that Flekken.”

Roefs finished sixth in the Premier League clean-sheet standings after recording ten clean sheets in 35 appearances, further underlining the lofty expectations placed on him since his move to Sunderland, with a former NEC youth goalkeeping coach describing his potential as enormous.

The 23-year-old has also attracted praise from commentator Sam Matterface, who labelled him ‘absolutely brilliant’ last October.

Whether Roefs is handed an opportunity in the Netherlands’ next World Cup outing against Sweden in Houston on 20th June remains to be seen.

For Sunderland though, Roefs value appears to be growing by the month and they could have the long-term Netherlands number 1 on the books.