VAN HOOIJDONK
IfScotlandwas goodenough forLarsson& Laudrup,it’s goodenough forShaneDuffy
PIERRE VAN HOOIJDONK was assured by the legendary Guus Hiddink that his place in Holland’s national squad wouldn’t be jeopardised by playing in Scotland. And that was in a golden era when the Dutch could call upon Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to tear it up on the international stage. So the former Ce l t i c he r o reckons Gary Breen is talking “bulls**t” with his claims Shane Duf fy is putting his international career at risk by making a loan switch from Premier League Brighton to the Hoops.
Breen – capped 63 times by Ireland during a career which saw him turn out for West Ham, Sunderland and Wolves at its peak – set the cat among the pigeons with his disparaging radio comments on Sunday.
Sneering at the Scottish game he claimed Duffy “could pick up bad habits” and suggested there wasn’t a single centre forward in Scotland who would play in a Premier League team.
But Van Hooijdonk, who moved to Celtic in 1995 shortly after breaking into the Dutch team, reckons Breen is talking out of his backside.
Speaking to Record Sport, he said: “That’s bulls**t! Did Brian Laudrup or Henrik Larsson lose their place in the Danish or Swedish national team when they moved to Scotland?
“And those two players were playing for nations who were at a different level to the Irish team right now.
“You don’t become a s**t player simply by moving leagues.
“When I secured my place in the Dutch national team I was at Celtic and I asked the coach – Guus Hiddink – does it matter what league I am playing in?
“Hiddink said the only thing that mattered was that I was playing well.
“It was the same when I was moving to Nottingham Forest and there was a massive chance that we were getting relegated – would that influence my chances of being part of the Dutch squad for the
1998W1998Worldld CCup?? HiddiHiddinkk saidid if I play and do my job then he will pick me. That’s how it turned out.
“I was the only player in that Dutch World Cup squad who wasn’t playing at the highest level.
“The main thing is you do the business. Then you will get picked.
“I have seen some Brazilian internationals moving to China and they are getting picked.
“Italian players going to the MLS and they are getting picked.
“Shane Duffy showed in the Premier League that he can play. I’m happy to see a guy make the opposite move to what we are used to!
“You can actually look at it and say there will be a bigger focus on him because he will not be under pressure as often as he was at Brighton. But when he is then he will have to be there and do his job.
“He can’t afford to make mistakes.itk EEspeciallyill iin thisthi season for Celtic.
“He is 28, he knows how to defend and is what I would call football mature.”
Breen is the latest in a long line of ill-informed players to deride Scottish football as a backwater.
But Van Hooijdonk is having none of it.
Not least because the league Duffy has just joined helped produce half of the backline which romped to the title in the league he has just left.
Liverpool duo Andy Robertson and Virgil Van Dijk are just two players flourishing in the EPL. You can also throw in John McGinn at Aston Villa and John Fleck at Sheffield United.
And over the years there’s been no shortage of players who went on to win international honours with their country after cutting their teeth in n Scotland.
Mikel Arteta, eta, Stan Petrov, Rino Gattuso andd more recently AlfredodoMorelosMorelos and Kris Ajer have gone on to star at international level.
Van Hooijdonk said: “Players like Odsonne Edouard, and before him Moussa Dembele, attract interest from Premier League clubs.
“Clubs are spending millions on scouts and recruitment but they still underestimate the spirit of the Scottish league.
“Look at Van Dijk and Andy Robertson. Why did Liverpool not make their move when they were at Celtic and Dundee United?
“Southampton and Hull had to come in first. Then all of a sudden they were Premier League calibre.
“They are both playing for the champions of England now.”