PSV Eindhoven talent Mohamed Ihattaren has decided his international future lies with the Netherlands and not Morocco.
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The 17-year-old midfielder has made a big impression for PSV Eindhoven so far this season, leading to speculation over his international future.
Ihattaren has always been a Netherlands youth international, but he also qualifies for Morocco, who confirmed they were hoping to convince the youngster to choose a future with them.
However, on Sunday, Ihattaren confirmed that he has made his choice and it is the Netherlands.
Speaking to the Ons Oranje website, Ihattaren said, “I have thought about it for a long time and I also consulted a lot with my family. Finally we came to the decision to opt for the Dutch national team.
“They have done a lot for me in the representative youth teams, I went through everything there and that makes it difficult to leave.
“I have been playing in Oranje since Under-14 and I won the European Championship with Under-17. It’s great that I can continue that.”
The choice is a relief for the KNVB, who failed to convince Sergino Dest to choose Oranje instead of the USA last week.
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He’s a real talent but as with most attackers from the Netherlands, he needs to make sure he stays a while and develops, and then chooses the right club to move to. That’s been hit or miss for many players in recent years.
Nevertheless, this is great news as he has a very high ceiling. After Ziyech, Mazraoui and others, its nice that he’s chosen the Dutch instead of Morocco!