Ruud Gullit changes his mind on Gjivai Zechiël after Oranje debut

Ruud Gullit has revised his assessment of Gjivai Zechiël after being impressed by the Feyenoord midfielder’s first appearances for the Netherlands. In comments from his De Telegraaf column carried by Voetbalzone, Gullit admitted that he had initially questioned whether the youngster was ready for senior international football.

Zechiël featured as a substitute during the international window and returned to Rotterdam with two caps. Gullit highlighted the midfielder’s willingness to receive the ball under pressure, turn away from opponents and move possession quickly. Although the appearances were brief, he felt Zechiël made an immediate difference when introduced.

“I thought he was still too lightweight for Oranje,” Gullit said, according to Voetbalzone, before acknowledging that the midfielder had proved him wrong. He described Zechiël as comfortable at that level and said the debutant had been a positive surprise.

Gullit also believes the arrival of new competition can benefit the Netherlands as a whole. He suggested that established internationals may have become too secure in their positions and praised Xavi’s recent squad decisions for increasing pressure on the regular starters. Zechiël will now turn his attention back to club football, with Feyenoord scheduled to face Eredivisie leaders AZ on Saturday.