Leeds United's Pascal Struijk on Louis van Gaal Holland call and watching USA with Jesse Marsch

Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk was the recipient of an 'interesting' pre-World Cup phone call from Louis van Gaal but whatever was said will remain between them.
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Qatar controversies aside, Struijk has been enjoying the World Cup, the football that has been taking place, although perhaps not as much as he would have had Van Gaal included the Whites man in the Netherlands squad. Struijk made the long list that Van Gaal provisionally picked, before whittling down the numbers to the 26 he wanted with him in Qatar. Uncapped at senior level after playing for the Netherlands Under 17s, Struijk's international future was at one stage a source of major confusion and debate.

Eligible for Indonesia, Belgium and Holland, Struijk was a player Roberto Martinez liked the look of and one the Red Devils made enquiries about. But while the young defender is not one to broadcast anything in his life to the world, it became apparent quite quickly to Martinez that Struijk was holding on for Holland. So that long list place meant a lot, but it did not mean Struijk expected to be in Qatar.

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"I would never get my hopes up too high just because you'd be more excited if you don't think you're going than if you think you are and you're eventually not going, which would be more disappointing," he told the YEP. "I didn't get my hopes too high because he's never seen me before. It's hard [for him] to make a decision, we have so many good centre-backs in Holland right now. It was always going to be difficult, but it is what it is. It is nice to get recognised, to see my name up on the sheet, which was very good in the first place. But eventually you see whoever he picks and I don't know what's going to happen."

TIGHT LIPPED: Leeds United's Pascal Struijk, front, on his conversation with Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal. Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/AFP via Getty Images.TIGHT LIPPED: Leeds United's Pascal Struijk, front, on his conversation with Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal. Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/AFP via Getty Images.
TIGHT LIPPED: Leeds United's Pascal Struijk, front, on his conversation with Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal. Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/AFP via Getty Images.

One of the greats in football management, Van Gaal has so far led Holland into the quarter-finals of the tournament in his third stint as national team boss. Although Struijk is happy to reveal, in response to a direct question, that the legend took time out of his preparation to give him a call, the conversation is off-limits.

"Just before the World Cup he was going to call the people that weren't in the squad and I spoke to him," said Struijk. "It was interesting, but that’s something I would like to keep between us."

The future will surely hold a cap, or a number of them, if Struijk continues to ply his trade so efficiently in England's top flight. Having already shown himself to be more than adequate in the centre of defence, this season Struijk has featured at left-back, adding another string to his bow. At just 23 there will be other World Cups to aim for and hopes, however high he lets them get, for involvement. For now, he's enjoying this one as a fan, one whose country has just got one over on the nation of his club boss Jesse Marsch.

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"[Although there's] all the controversy going on, I think the games have been fun to watch, some interesting results," he said. "A good result for Holland [3-1 winners over USMNT] yesterday. I kind of had to support both. I support Holland, but I also want my team-mates [Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson] to do well. It’s a tricky one, but when the final whistle went and I looked at Jesse, it was pretty funny.”