The top scorer for Dutch side SBV Vitesse Dillon Hoogewerf says his dream is to play for the senior national team of Nigeria despite his eligibility for the Netherlands, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Born to a Nigerian mother and a Dutch father, the 23 year old who has eight goals this season says despite his ultimate desire at club level to play in the UEFA Champions League, his international dream still remains to play for the senior national team of Nigeria. . “It’s my mother’s country. I’ve been there a few times and have said I want to help people there.”
He went ahead to say he plans on reaching out to the less privileged in the country as his own way of helping people, who don’t have the basic things they enjoy in the Netherlands.
“We’re privileged with what we have,” Hoogewerf explains. “That’s just the way it is. If they had the same opportunities as me, they wouldn’t have used them the way I did. I thought about that for a long time.
“They would have eaten up everything to succeed. We have a certain complacency, we’re very pampered. We get so many opportunities to succeed. You shouldn’t be too careless with that”.
Buttressing on his desire to play for Nigeria, he said he feels the culture of Nigeria suits him better and he stands a chance of getting remembered there than if he plays for the Netherlands.
“That (Nigerian) culture suits me better. There’s a better chance of being remembered in African countries. There are so many good footballers. When I was sixteen, I had the chance to play for Nigeria. Then COVID hit, and I was playing for the Dutch youth teams. This season, we reconnected. To play for Nigeria, I have to play at a higher level.”
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
