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PSV Eindhoven midfielder Joey Veerman needs to up his game, lest he end up joining Aston Villa and spending his time sat on the bench.

That’s according to journalist René van der Gijp, who has warned the 24-year-old about his future should he not improve, particularly in a physical sense.

Veerman is currently a key player for the Dutch side that sit at the top of the Eredivisie with 24 points from eight games to date.

His form has been key to that, with two goals and four assists in the league so far as well as two goals and three assists in four games in Champions League qualifying.

Those numbers mean he has earned himself in Ronald Koeman’s Netherlands squad, making his debut earlier this year and featuring in the two European qualifiers against France and Greece this week.

He failed to shine in either of those games, with the Dutch losing 2-1 to France and securing a narrow 1-0 win over Greece on Monday thanks to a last-gasp Virgil van Dijk penalty.

Van der Gijp was one of those watching and was less than impressed, warning Veerman he needs to change, or he’ll end up on the bench at somewhere like Aston Villa.

“I would like to say something about Veerman. Do we think Veerman is a good football player?” he said.

“I would if I were Veerman… He has now played against Arsenal, and he has played against France. I hope he has seen what it takes to get to that level. He’s nowhere near that level, is he.

“If I were him, I would now ensure that I get in better shape, I would work harder, become faster, get better ball handling and become stronger.

“Otherwise, Veerman will soon go to Aston Villa, and he will be on the bench there for three years. He has talent, but he needs to improve at everything. In any case, I hope he saw it against Arsenal on the pitch and against France from the bench.”