Xavi Hails De Jong as Netherlands Target Nations League Quarter-Finals

Netherlands manager Xavi described Frenkie de Jong as an "underrated" player and suggested that the Barcelona midfielder could play alongside Borussia Dortmund's Joey Veerman in midfield.

The Netherlands will face Greece and Germany in their final two UEFA Nations League group matches. They currently lead the group on goal difference and could take a big step towards the quarter-finals with a win over second-placed Greece in Amsterdam on Friday.

During a recent press conference, Xavi said the key goal of Netherlands is to qualify for the Nations League quarter-finals, and they are fully geared up to take this challenge.

"The next goal is to qualify for the quarterfinals. We'll think about the other goals later. We showed a good level in the last window, we are ready." said Netherlands manager Xavi.

Frenkie de Jong's return has given Xavi another option in midfield after an injury kept the Barcelona star out of the manager's first squad. The midfielder showed his quality once again during Barcelona's recent 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid, but Xavi feels his performances still go unnoticed.

"I think he’s underrated. But not by the coaches or teammates. If you ask them, they’ll say he’s the best. They see Frenkie in action every day," said Xavi while talking to the reporters.

"Sometimes people don’t understand tactical situations. Fixing and committing the opponent, creating superiority in defence and attack... He’s a complete player. He knows the coaching staff and me. He knows our philosophy; he’ll be important. He’s got everything it takes to perform well. And he’s a leader." added Xavi.

Joey Veerman has also caught the eye with his performances this season since joining Borussia Dortmund from PSV in the summer. The midfielder was called back into the Netherlands squad during Xavi's first international break, two years after former manager Ronald Koeman dropped him.

Although De Jong and Veerman both usually play as defensive midfielders, Xavi suggested that the two could feature together for the Netherlands.

"It's a possibility. All the players can play together, especially the good players. Joey is doing so well at Dortmund, and he did very well with us here.” said Xavi.

“I don't even need to talk about Frenkie. He's a top player. He can play everywhere, yesterday he played as a full-back. That's not my first idea, but I used him as a centre-back at Barcelona. He's a top player; he'll help the team a lot.” added Xavi.