Recounting the dramatic moment of his entrance, Meerdink admitted he was surprised when new Oranje head coach Xavi called his name off the bench so early in the match. Despite expecting the coaching staff to choose a more experienced option, the young forward warmed up quickly and adapted smoothly to the tempo.
Meerdink praised Xavi’s intense managerial style, noting that the Spaniard’s visible passion quickly energized the entire squad.
“I could see that Brian was limping,” Meerdink explained. “I thought to myself: ‘Is it going to happen already?’ I thought the coach might choose someone else. But they called my name and then I had to start warming up and it went very fast. Xavi radiates a lot of passion, and that is felt by the players.”