‘Should Have Worked Harder’ – Dig Taken At Middlesbrough Star By Experienced Boss | OneFootball

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Hugely experienced Curacao boss Dick Advocaat has taken a dig at out-on-loan Middlesbrough star Sontje Hansen for pulling out of national team duty.

Hansen joined Middlesbrough from Dutch side NEC Nijmegen in the summer of 2025, with Boro beating Birmingham City and Wrexham to his signature.

The 24-year-old forward found minutes tough to come by at the Riverside and made only 17 Championship appearances last season, most of them coming from the bench.

The attacker’s struggle for minutes continued at the World Cup, where he made just one appearance for Curacao and featured for only 45 minutes.

Hansen recently made himself unavailable for the national team and it has been claimed that he only wants to return once Advocaat, who turns 79 years old later this month, is no longer in charge.

Experienced boss Advocaat believes Hansen may have felt that he deserved more playing time, but stressed that the forward should have continued to give his best while competing for a place in the team.

The Curacao boss also made it clear that Hansen’s decision to leave is ultimately his own, adding that he has no major issue with the player choosing what he believes is best for his career.

Speaking to Dutch broadcaster NOS, he said: “Then you have to leave, because that’s how it works in football.

“He probably felt he should have played more, but then he should have worked harder.

“It’s his decision, so I don’t have much of a problem with that.”

It remains to be seen whether Hansen’s situation with the Curacao national team will be resolved to allow him to put himself back in the international mix.

At the age of just 24, Hansen still has ample time to change his view and put himself at the disposal of the country.

Hansen is currently spending the season on loan at Turkish side Gaziantep, who have an option to make the move permanent if he impresses.