Bukayo Saka can make Euro 2024 rival look silly after England vs Netherlands comments

England star Bukayo Saka can make Netherlands defender Micky van de Ven look silly when the Three Lions take on their Dutch rivals in the Euro 2024 semi-finals on Wednesday evening. The Tottenham defender has insisted his team-mates Virgil van Dijk and Nathan Ake will have no problem handling the Arsenal winger during the contest.

Saka has started all five of England’s Euro 2024 matches and showed glimpses of his best form on Saturday as his side overcame Switzerland in the quarter-finals following penalties.

England boss Gareth Southgate resisted calls to shift the 22-year-old to the left as Saka played on the right and banged in an equaliser in normal time before dispatching a spot kick in the shootout.

The Netherlands later secured their place in the last-four after getting the better of Turkey in their quarter-final.

And ahead of Wednesday’s match, Van de Ven told reporters: “Saka is a good player with pace, but Virgil and Nathan have a lot of pace too and I am sure they can handle him.”

Saka was handed the player of the match award against Switzerland and has been one of England’s best players at the Euros. And if Van Dijk and Ake aren’t at the top of their game, Van de Ven’s words may come back to haunt him.

Saka was asked about the penalty shootout by the BBC in the aftermath of Saturday’s game after missing from 12 yards when the Euro 2020 final was decided in the same manner three years ago.

And the Arsenal star explained: “Obviously for myself, I believe we have some of the best takers in the Premier League and the world [so] if it did come to penalties we would be confident. We showed that today.

“For me, it is something I embrace – you can fail once and you have a choice if you are going to put yourself in that position again. I believed in myself and when the ball hit the net I was a very happy man.

“I am not going to be focused on the past, that is done, I can only focus on now. I know there were a lot of nervous people watching, my family included, but I kept my cool.

“There are two more games, we can change our lives and make history – we are going to watch the game [between the Netherlands and Turkey] and see who we are facing.”