‘Consider Selecting’ – Aston Villa Star Not Pushing National Team Case | OneFootball

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Aston Villa new boy Marco Bizot has revealed that at 34, he wants to give chances to young shot-stoppers like Robin Roefs, who joined Sunderland this summer, to grow and gather experience for the national team.

Sunderland splashed €10.5m, which could go up to €13.5m through add-ons, to bring in Roefs from Dutch side NEC Nijmegen after they missed out on Marcin Bulka to Saudi Pro League side Neom.

The 22-year-old so far has impressed at the Stadium of Light with his performances, as Sunderland have picked up two wins from their first three Premier League games.

Roefs has been called up for the senior Netherlands national side for the first time and he was on the bench against Lithuania and Poland during the international break.

One man who was not in the squad is Bizot.

Bizot, who made the move to Aston Villa in the summer window, turned down the chance to be called up to the Netherlands national team last year for Euro 2024, due to personal circumstances.

“I was already afraid this question would come”, the Villa shot-stopper told Dutch outlet Voetbal Primeur when he was asked about the national side.

“I think you have to be realistic: the Dutch national team is fantastic. But when you’re 34 and you make this move to Aston Villa….

“I’m more committed to giving other guys the opportunity to gain that experience with the Dutch national team, to grow and develop there, instead of seeing myself there, as a third goalkeeper or whatever.

“So I’m more committed to giving other guys the opportunity to experience that, like Robin Roefs, Nick Olij, or Kjell Scherpen, who’s just re-joined.

“There will also be other goalkeepers coming up who could use this experience better, to gain experience.”

Bizot appears unlikely to want to be called up to the squad again as, although he would not close the door on playing for his country, he would stress to those picking the group that for development purposes, there could be better options.

Asked about what would happen if he got the Oranje call, Bizot replied: “I’d say the same thing I’m saying now.

“I wouldn’t immediately say: I’m retiring, closing the door, and never wanting to be called up again.

“But I do want to give them a choice: consider selecting other players who might benefit more from my development than I do now, because I’ve already experienced a few things,” he added.

Bizot played his first and only match for the Dutch national side five years ago in a friendly against Spain, when he was at AZ Alkmaar.