Two internationals, zero goals. Olivier Hortensius’ resume could use a boost. Yet the 22-year-old Rotterdam striker surprised friend and foe this week with his spot in the selection for the European Championship in Mönchengladbach (Aug. 8-17). “I feel like a kid in a candy store, that’s how happy I am.
Hortensius is the only tournament debutant in the Dutch national team’s EC selection. His selection, with only two international matches under his belt, is already an achievement for the history books. That the Netherlands is traveling to a title tournament with a striker who is still waiting for his first international goal says everything about coach Jeroen Delmée’s confidence in him. Just over a month ago, Hortensius was even waiting for his debut in the shirt of Orange.
So he did not have high expectations when the European Championship selection was announced internally on Monday, he says. At 4 p.m., he received the e-mail listing the eighteen names Delmée had selected for Mönchengladbach. When Hortensius scrolled down, he stumbled upon his own name to his amazement.
‘That morning I had to give a clinic, so I was out half the day. When I got home, my girlfriend was sick in bed. I lay down with her for a while and before I knew it, it was already 4 a.m. Together we waited for the e-mail in suspense. When I read my own name, I thought I was looking wrong. I couldn’t believe it. I was so happy that I spontaneously jumped across the room, as if I had scored a goal.’
After his Orange debut against Argentina (1-1) in June, Olivier Hortensius takes a selfie with a fan at Wagener Stadium. Photo: Willem Vernes
Delmée: ‘He has developed quickly’
The penny might have dropped just the other way for him, Hortensius realizes. He now fills the vacancy in the striker position created by Duco Telgenkamp’s decision to take a step back this summer. Beforehand, Miles Bukkens seemed the dream candidate to fill the gap, but he injured his knee during the Pro League. Another option for the striker position was Terrance Pieters, but he replaced the injured Jonas de Geus in midfield.
‘Olivier is goal-oriented and technically proficient,’ Delmée reasoned his choice of Hortensius. ‘He has developed quickly. The impression he has left is convincing. That’s why I think he deserves to go to the EC more than other guys.’
Derk Meijer, his teammate at Rotterdam, kisses Olivier Hortensius on his forehead after his debut at Wagener Stadium. Photo: Willem Vernes
Flying start to his international career
For five months Hortensius had to wait for his debut in the Dutch national team. When he boarded a plane for Sydney in January, his first big trip with the Dutch team ended in a deception. In Australia, he suffered a hamstring injury, causing his first international appearance to fall through.
But after his re-match in June, when he was finally rewarded with his first playing minutes at Wagener Stadium, he still had a flying start to his international career. Already in the first minute of the match against Argentina (1-1), he fired a blazing shot at the enemy goal. Immediately the international field hockey world became acquainted with Olivier Hortensius. His second international, in London against Great Britain (2-3 win), also left him with a good feeling.
I noticed that the difference between me and the rest of the team turned out to be smaller than I initially thought Olivier Hortensius
‘At first I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t know if I could handle the level of those guys who played the Olympics, ECs and World Cups. You always hear from others that international field hockey cannot be compared to a big league game, that an international game is much more like a race. And I certainly experienced that as well. But still, I think I showed in those two internationals that I can handle the level. Of course, there is still enough about my game to improve. But I do notice that the difference between me and the rest of the team has turned out to be smaller than I initially thought.’
His expectations of his first title tournament are high. ‘Mönchengladbach is of course close to the Dutch border, so I expect a lot of Dutch fans. In a pool with Belgium and Spain, tough but also beautiful matches await us. It will be one big field hockey party, I’m sure.’
by Hockey.nl
