Donny van de Beek takes inspiration from past Dutch masters at Manchester United
The Dutch international is inspired by his compatriots of the past at Old Trafford
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Donny van de Beek says watching Netherlands internationals star at Manchester United when he was younger gives him something to aspire to.
The attacking midfielder signed from Ajax for £35 million earlier this month and is expected to play a prominent role across the course of the season.
United have yet to start their 2020/21 campaign, meaning Van de Beek could play in their opener against Crystal Palace this coming weekend.
The 23-year-old says he spent time watching the club play in his youth days, watching fellow Dutch stars shine on the same stage he now hopes to.
"I watched United a lot [when I was younger], because a lot of Dutch players have played here and this was nice to watch if you're a young kid and you see the Dutch players there," Van de Beek said to Inside United magazine.
"Daley (Blind), Edwin [van der Sar], Robin van Persie… you see them. They won a lot of titles and United always played nice football, which was always good to see."
Van de Beek will now be competing with the likes of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes for a place in the team.
He says he can only “learn from everybody” after stepping up from the Eredivisie to the Premier League and hopes he can also play his part in bringing something new to the squad.
"Everybody has their own qualities and you have to pick things up from them. I'm really happy I can play with them. That is what I want and I hope together we can make a really nice future for the club.
"There are a lot of young players in the group, around my age, and I think this is a really big opportunity for me to help the team."
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