Dirk Kuyt is attracting the high praise of his fellow countrymen as Holland look to book themselves into this year’s World Cup Final, with their semi-final against Uruguay tonight.
The Liverpool attacker is being praised left, right and centre for his workrate on the pitch, the aspect of his game that saw him win a place in many Liverpool fans hearts since he moved to Anfield in 2006.
Holland manager Bert Van Marwijk told press ahead of tonight’s showdown, “I read somewhere that when Rafael Benitez picked a team at Liverpool, he wrote Kuyt’s name down first. That says everything.
“Every player has a period where things don’t work out and Liverpool had a very tough year, but Kuyt is extremely important for us.
“The way he plays shows his passion and enthusiasm, and it is catching.”
Kuyt began the World Cup by scoring Holland’s second in a 2-0 victory over Denmark at Soccer City stadium in Johannesburg.
He has since gone on to set up numerous Dutch goals as they cruise their way through the tournament with five straight victories, including a 2-1 defeat of Brazil in the quarter-finals.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst added to the praises, “Dirk is so important for us. He can play across all the positions up front.
“The way he fights in a team, his presence, his dedication, it’s infectious for the others. It’s great having him on the team. For him, it doesn’t matter where he plays.”
Holland vs Uruguay, World Cup Semi-Final, gets underway at 7.30pm tonight.
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