“I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a child,” reacted Openda on the Vitesse website. Openda, 22, is one of the two U21s taken over by Roberto Martinez with Amadou Onana. “It’s wonderful news, I’m very proud of it,” said the striker who belongs to Club Brugge. “I’ve dreamed about it since I was a child. Before I watched players like Romelu Lukaku, Eden Hazard, Thibaut Courtois and Yannick Carrasco and now I’m in the national team. I knew I had a chance but also that I had to stay patient. I am very happy to receive this chance.”
This season, Openda have scored 23 goals in all competitions. With his 18 Eredivisie goals, he also finished second in the league’s top scorer rankings behind Sébastien Haller (Ajax). He is also the U21’s top scorer, qualifying for Euro 2023. “I worked hard to receive this chance and this selection means I did well. I can be happy with my season in Europe and the Netherlands. Bas. I am also grateful to my teammates who helped me in my performances”, concluded Openda
