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Pascal Struijk says he is pleased to have received a first provisional call-up to the senior Netherlands squad

Leeds defender Pascal Struijk has been named in Louis van Gaal’s provisional 30-man Netherlands squad for upcoming international fixtures later this month.

It is the first time Struijk has been named in the Oranje selection after leaving AFC Ajax and joining Leeds United in 2018.

A former Dutch Under-17 international, Belgian-born Struijk has held off on declaring for a national side due to his dual eligibility but has made no secret his desire to represent the country in which he grew up.

BRENTFORD, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 03: Bryan Mbeumo of Brentford marks Pascal Struijk of Leeds United during the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Leeds United at Brentford Community Stadium on September 03, 2022 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

Speaking to ESPN programme De Voetbalkantine, Struijk revealed he discovered he had been selected by Van Gaal at the end of a training session at Thorp Arch, shortly before Leeds travelled to face Brentford.

"If I am selected [for the final squad], I will choose Oranje [the Netherlands]," the defender said.

''It means a lot to me. It's the first time I'm even in the pre-selection.

"My phone was full of messages and then I felt like a little kid. It's very nice to experience and now let's hope that I'll be in the final selection soon. If I am in that selection, I will also choose the Netherlands. That's my first choice."

"At the time I didn't really know what I wanted to do,” Struijk said, describing the process of applying for a Belgian passport during COVID.

“Then I considered everything, but the Netherlands is my first choice."

Struijk’s call-up coincides with the Netherlands’ preparations for this year’s winter World Cup in Qatar.

The Oranje face Mateusz Klich’s Poland and Belgium in UEFA Nations’ League fixtures later this month before their World Cup schedule begins against Senegal in late November.

Ecuador and tournament hosts Qatar also join the Dutch in Group A, whose squad Struijk will hope to be a part of.

His status as a recent call-up means the 23-year-old remains an outside bet to make Van Gaal’s selection for the Finals.

The former Manchester United manager is expected to cut a handful of names from his provisional squad in the coming days ahead of this month’s Nations’ League ties.

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