Reijnders highlights area to improve and clarifies position: 'I’m box-to-box'

Tijjani Reijnders is now getting ready for a quarter-final after helping the Netherlands get past Romania, but he insisted that there are areas he knows he must improve.

Donyell Malen scored twice off the bench Cody Gakpo got another goal Euro 2024 to help the Netherlands beat Romania and make the final eight of the tournament for the first time since 2008.

They came up against a spirited opponent that were – along with others like Georgia and Slovenia – contenders for the story of the tournament, but they ultimately brushed them aside with a clinical display.

Reijnders has earned praise from the media and was likened to a ‘vending machine’ by one newspaper for the way he distributed the ball, and now a game against Turkey awaits at the weekend.

The midfielder spoke to UEFA.com after the game to reflect on another memorable night for the Oranje, with his comments relayed by MilanNews.

“I think we made up for the last match [the defeat against Austria] and showed what we really are. We talked to each other in the dressing room and today we wanted to show what level we can reach. It was a demonstration of what we can do,” he said.

“We played with an extra midfielder because our right winger went inside and we tried to find passes between the lines. I think we did a good job, with the midfield and also with our central defenders.

“My performance? That’s what I like to do, run forward with the ball and shoot, only next time I have to score… I’m a box-to-box player: sometimes I carry the ball, sometimes I put our strikers in the right position. That’s how I can help the team.”