- Title: From zero to hero? Emotional Noppert thanks Van Gaal for taking him to World Cup
- Date: 7th December 2022
- Summary: DOHA, QATAR (DECEMBER 7, 2022) (REUTERS) GOALKEEPER ANDRIES NOPPERT AND DEFENDER VIRGIL VAN DIJK ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEFENDER, VIRGIL VAN DIJK, SAYING: "There is hunger, there is dreams, there is this feeling that obviously when you participate in a World Cup, you wanna be able to get it. And in the quarter-finals we know that you are three games away from glory, you could be three games away from glory, and we are in this position right now and we wanna show, we wanna perform and leave it all on the pitch and hopefully get success. This is our opportunity and hopefully we can enjoy that opportunity and go through as well." JOURNALISTS / NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING (SOUNDBITE) (English) GOALKEEPER, ANDRIES NOPPERT, SAYING: "When you are a small guy, I think you dream about going one time to the World Cup and when I was young I also dreamed about it. But when you see my career...I put the dream away because I think (thought) it's not possible anymore. But I keep fighting, keep pushing and I think there's only one 'bondscoach' (national team coach) who can bring me here and that is our 'bondscoach'. So I have to be proud of this, keep working and this is the most important thing." NOPPERT LISTENING TO QUESTION NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING JOURNALIST WRITING (SOUNDBITE) (English) GOALKEEPER, ANDRIES NOPPERT, SAYING: "It depends about (on) the moment, but I'm always ready for that (catching a penalty shot by Argentina striker Lionel Messi). He can also miss, we see it in the beginning of this tournament. He's the same like us, he's a human and he is not ... For sure he's good, but for sure I can catch the penalties." NEWS CONFERENCE ONGOING JOURNALISTS WRITING (SOUNDBITE) (English) DEFENDER, VIRGIL VAN DIJK, SAYING: "We try to do as much as possible in order to be ready for it (a penalty shootout), but hopefully we come to that stage and can decide the game before getting into extra times or penalties. But if it's there and the time is there, we have to be ready for it and we practised as much as possible for it." VARIOUS OF NEWS CONFERENCE ENDING
- Embargoed: 21st December 2022 15:12
- Keywords: Argentina FIFA Netherlands World Cup
- Location: DOHA, QATAR
- City: DOHA, QATAR
- Country: Qatar
- Topics: Middle East,Sport,World Cup
- Reuters ID: LVA001508307122022RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Only two years ago, he had hardly played any games on the highest level and considered finding another profession. But on Friday (December 9), Andries Noppert will guard the Dutch goal in the quarter-final against Argentina.
"When you see my career...I put the dream away because I thought it's not possible anymore", Noppert admitted at a news conference at the Dutch training site in Doha.
Noppert played for Dutch teams NAC, Go Ahead Eagles and Italian club Foggia, but mostly as backup goalkeeper. In September this year, Dutch manager Louis van Gaal decided to call him up for the first time, took him to the World Cup and gave him a starting place in the selection.
"I keep fighting, keep pushing and I think there's only one 'bondscoach' (national team coach) who can bring me here and that is our 'bondscoach'", Noppert said smilingly.
Looking ahead to the quarter-final, defender Virgil van Dijk showed to be eager to break new ground and win a World Cup after losing in three finals.
"There is hunger, there is dreams, there is this feeling that obviously when you participate in a World Cup, you wanna be able to get it." Van Dijk said.
"In the quarter-finals we know that you are three games away from glory, you could be three games away from glory, and we are in this position right now and we wanna show, we wanna perform and leave it all on the pitch and hopefully get success."
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