Getting to know...

Who has been the biggest influence on your career so far?

"My dad, he always helped me from a young age. Of course my mum too, but my dad has always played a big part in my career."

Who was your football idol growing up?

"It was Carles Puyol, it’s always been him. He was a top player, a true leader at Barcelona. He wasn’t even that tall for a central defender but he would always win headers from corners and score goals. A great player."

Who is the biggest joker in the pack?

"Fraser Forster! He’s always joking around in the changing room."

Who would you most like to see in concert?

"I think I’d like to see Coldplay. It always looks fantastic when they have the light show with the crowd. It would be great to see that and watch them in concert."

Where did you make your professional debut?

"My debut came when I was playing for Volendam away to PSV Under-21s in the Dutch second division, when I came on at half-time for my first appearance. My full debut was two games later in Deventer, the home of Go Ahead Eagles."

Where is your favourite restaurant?

"I’ll probably say a restaurant in Alkmaar close to my dad’s house called De Koning, which means The King. The steak there is really good!"

Where do you like to visit in London?

"I like to go to Selfridges if I want to do a bit of shopping, or around the Mayfair area for the restaurants."

Where is your happy place?

"At home in the Netherlands, altogether with my family back in my home town of Wormer."

How do you like your eggs in the morning?

"I like an omelette with ham and cheese."

How many times have you played for your country’s senior side?

"I have two caps for the senior team, playing against France and Greece last October. It was an amazing moment to play for my country for the first time."

How often do you fall asleep in front of the TV?

"Ah, almost every day! I sleep a lot at home, not just in the evening. Sometimes I’ll get home in the afternoon after training, put the TV on and I’ll be asleep very quickly."

How do you switch off after a match?

"I just go home and watch a movie or hop on the PlayStation with my friends, just something to switch off away from football, to take my mind of it."

What is your favourite current TV show?

"I’ve just started watching Griselda on Netflix, about a women involved in the drugs scene in the USA."

What is something you’ve always wanted to learn?

"I would like to speak to multiple languages. Of course, I can learn them but it is not as easy as everyone thinks, I’d like to be fluent and really speak them properly. At the moment I speak English, German and Dutch but I’d love to be able to speak Spanish and French as well."

What were your first pair of football boots?

"I’m sure they must have been Nike ones and they must have been black because my dad always wanted me to wear black boots. I can’t remember exactly which type though."

What is your favourite sandwich?

"A chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes and some sauce - nice and simple."

When did you last cook and what was it?

"The last time I cooked I think I was still playing for Wolfsburg, it was that long ago! It was probably pasta with pesto as that was something I used to do back then. I don’t cook now, I always take food home from the Club."

When did you realise you might make it as a footballer?

"When I first went to the Volendam first team, there were coaches there who didn’t have the trust in me to make the grade. But two months or so later, the new gaffer came in and he was so positive about me, he told me that if I worked hard on my weak spots then I could become a top player in the future. So then, when I played my first couple of matches for Volendam and it went well and the manager had trust in me, that was the moment I thought I could make it."

When was the last time you cried?

"I’m going to say when I tore my hamstring against Chelsea. I’d done it before and I couldn’t believe it happened again. I mean, I wouldn’t say I was properly crying but it was a very emotional moment, obviously upsetting for me and difficult to accept."

When are you at your happiest?

"There are two moments when I am most happy - when I’m with my family and friends, and when we win a game. I’m always in the best mood at these time."