Sunderland forward Brian Brobbey has joined up with the Netherlands squad and spoken about his impressive recent form ahead of the team’s Nations League encounter with Germany.
Brobbey was in outstanding form last Sunday, scoring a hat-trick in Sunderland’s Premier League away fixture against Manchester City. Although his goals were not enough to earn his side a victory, his individual performance earned him a perfect 10 rating from BBC Sport.
Speaking to ESPN Netherlands on Tuesday, Brobbey said, “I felt I did a lot of good things in that match, so I can understand why they gave me a 10. It was a good and fun game. It’s just a shame we lost. But personally, it was a really good performance.”
The striker has maintained the strong form he showed at the World Cup into the new season with Sunderland, something he attributes to his continued work in training.
Brobbey revealed that one area of his game he has recently focused on is “scanning”, which involves being more aware of his surroundings and the positioning of opponents.
He explained, “I’ve started to observe my surroundings more, to see where my opponents are. That makes it easier for me and reduces physical exertion.”
Brobbey will look to apply that approach when the Netherlands face Germany, an opponent he knows well. He previously had several notable battles with Jonathan Tah in 2024.
Reflecting on one of those encounters, Brobbey said, “That was a very interesting game, a great game, 2-2.”
The Sunderland striker believes his improved awareness has become an important part of his game.
“I still do that now. Sometimes I observe where opponents are positioned now, something I did less of before. Now I do it.”
Brobbey could have an important role to play against Germany following several absences from the Netherlands attack. New coach Xavi opted not to select Memphis Depay and Wout Weghorst, while Donyell Malen, who has also been in strong form, withdrew from the squad because of injury.
With those three players unavailable, Brobbey remains among the attacking options available to the Netherlands.
His response was brief but confident: “But I’m here.”
