Jong Oranje coach Cor Pot has selected his final 23 players to take to the Under-21 European Championships in Israel in June, and the squad is a strong one.

In the selection of 23, there are twelve players who have full Dutch international caps. The squad involves Daley Blind, Jordy Clasie, Leroy Fer, Marco van Ginkel, Ola John, Luuk de Jong, Adam Maher, Bruno Martins Indi, Ricardo van Rhijn, Kevin Strootman, Stefan de Vrij and Georginio Wijnaldum. Also included are Tonny Vilhena and Jeroen Zoet, who were in the Dutch squad earlier this season, but was not chosen by coach Louis van Gaal to make an appearance.

PSV striker Memphis Depay is also in the 23, the young rookie may make his debut in the friendly match against Australia next week. Goalkeeper Nick Marsman of Go Ahead Eagles has also not played yet for the Under-21 side, but was part of the squad last year against Slovakia.

Pot surprisingly has left defenders Jeffrey Bruma of Hamburg and PSV’s Jetro Willems out of the squad. For Feyenoord’s Kelvin Leerdam, he has not played for some time in the Rotterdam’s club’s first team due to a contract dispute but Pot has shown faith in him to take him to Israel.

Heracles Almelo’s central midfielder Lerin Duarte has been chosen as first reserve if any of the 23 pull out before the tournament.

Jong Oranje have been drawn into the tough Group B against Spain, Germany and Russia, the tournament begins on June 5th.

THE SQUAD

GOALKEEPERS: Marco Bizot (FC Groningen), Nick Marsman (Go Ahead Eagles), Jeroen Zoet (RKC Waalwijk)

DEFENDERS: Patrick van Aanholt (Vitesse), Daley Blind (Ajax), Mike van der Hoorn (FC Utrecht), Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), Bram Nuytinck (Anderlecht), Ricardo van Rhijn (Ajax), Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord)

MIDFIELDERS: Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Leroy Fer (FC Twente), Marco van Ginkel (Vitesse), Florian Jozefzoon (RKC Waalwijk), Kelvin Leerdam (Feyenoord), Adam Maher (AZ), Kevin Strootman (PSV), Tonny Trindade de Vilhena (Feyenoord), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV)

STRIKERS: Memphis Depay (PSV), Ola John (Benfica), Luuk de Jong (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Jürgen Locadia (PSV)

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Jong Oranje coach Cor Pot has announced a strong provisional Netherlands squad for the 2013 UEFA Under-21 European Championships, which begins on 5th of June in Israel.

Pot has selected the below list of 40 players to be reduced to 23 before the start of the tournament.

GOALKEEPERS: Marco Bizot (FC Groningen), Warner Hahn (FC Dordrecht), Nick Marsman (Go Ahead Eagles), Sergio Padt (AA Gent), Jeroen Zoet (RKC Waalwijk)

DEFENDERS: Daley Blind (Ajax), Jeffrey Bruma (Hamburger SV), Stefan de Vrij (Feyenoord), Mitchell Dijks (Ajax), Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (sc Heerenveen), Kelvin Leerdam (Feyenoord), Bruno Martins Indi (Feyenoord), Miquel Nelom (Feyenoord), Bram Nuytinck (Anderlecht), Patrick van Aanholt (Vitesse), Mike van der Hoorn (FC Utrecht), Virgil van Dijk (FC Groningen), Ricardo van Rhijn (Ajax), Jetro Willems (PSV), 

MIDFIELDERS: Leandro Bacuna (FC Groningen), Thomas Bruns (Heracles Almelo), Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Lerin Duarte (Heracles Almelo), Leroy Fer (FC Twente), Adam Maher (AZ), Kevin Strootman (PSV), Tonny Trindade de Vilhena (Feyenoord), Marco van Ginkel (Vitesse), Ricky van Haaren (VVV-Venlo), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV)

FORWARDS: Memphis Depay (PSV), Luuk de Jong (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Danny Hoesen (Ajax), Guus Hupperts (Roda JC), Ola John (Benfica), Florian Jozefzoon (RKC Waalwijk), Jürgen Locadia (PSV), Rajiv van la Parra (sc Heerenveen), Yanic Wildschut (VVV-Venlo), Género Zeefuik (FC Groningen)

The Under-21 coach has selected a very strong squad with the likes of Luuk de Jong, Kevin Strootman, Jordy Clasie, Georginio Wijnaldum and Jetro Willems already been capped at full international level.

De Jong even though has senior experience with the Netherlands, he knows he still has plenty to prove at this summer’s Euros. The Borussia Mönchengladbach striker, who won his first full cap more than two years ago, aged 20, has since gone on to pick up six more. However, he remains part of the Jong Oranje setup and looks set to be part of the squad that Pot takes to Israel. The Dutch face a tough task in Group B against Spain, Germany and Russia.

“Every youth tournament, for every player, is an experience in itself,” De Jong told UEFA.com. “You can learn a lot by playing against your own age group. These are the best players in Europe and that’ll be a great experience. I have played for the senior team as well, which is another step higher, and you learn a lot from that. But here me and some other guys who also played in the senior team already, we all need to show we deserve to be part of this team.

“If you win the tournament … that’s the thing you are hoping for. Perhaps with the qualities we have we might be able to reach that, but you have to adjust as a team first. You have to approach each game in a focused manner and fight for each other all the way – then you might have a chance.”

Coach Cor Pot will leave the Jong Oranje management team after the tournament in June, Albert Stuivenberg, the mastermind of the Dutch Under-17s’ back-to-back European triumphs, will succeed Pot.

The 42-year-old has signed a contract running until the conclusion of the Brazil 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and will look to replicate his success with the Under-17 team. Under Stuivenberg, the Netherlands won back-to-back European Under-17 Championships though they failed as double title holders to qualify for this month’s final tournament in Slovakia.

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