Feyenoord’s Jerayno Schaken Surprised by First Jong Oranje Call-Up
Seventeen-year-old Feyenoord winger Jerayno Schaken learned of his maiden call-up to Jong Oranje directly from his head coach, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who revealed during a press conference broadcast on Feyenoord ONE that the young attacker initially expected a promotion to the Under-19 squad rather than the national under-21 team. Head coach Michael Reiziger selected the teenager to fill a sudden vacancy in the squad ahead of a crucial two-legged playoff against Denmark for a spot in the 2027 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
How Selection Shuffles Led to the Call-Up
Michael Reiziger heeft het wegvallen van Ayoub Oufkir bij Jong Oranje opgevangen met Jerayno Schaken. This opening paved the way for Schaken, alongside Ajax defender Aaron Bouwman, to earn their first selections for the beloftenploeg. Van Bronckhorst explained that he received a message from Reiziger regarding the selection and broke the news to Schaken personally, noting that the player was both surprised and delighted because he had not yet received a direct invitation.
AZ once again serves as the squad’s primary supplier, contributing six players: Ro-Zangelo Daal, Elijah Dijkstra, Wouter Goes, Dave Kwakman, Rome-Jayden Owusu-Oduro, and Kees Smit. The roster adjustments also account for the absence of several players from the previous international period, including Rav van den Berg, Thijmen Blokzijl, Jaden Slory, and Lequincio Zeefuik. Meanwhile, Feyenoord teammate Givairo Read joins Schaken in the squad, while midfielder Gjivai ZechiĂ«l was recalled to the senior Oranje side after making a brief appearance for the youth team during the previous international break.
The Stakes of the European Championship Play-offs
The Netherlands and Denmark will battle across two legs to secure one of the final four qualification spots for the 2027 tournament, which will be co-hosted by Albania and Serbia. According to OnsOranje, the first leg kicks off on Friday, November 13, at 18:30 local time at Vejle Stadion in Denmark. The decisive return leg takes place four days later on Tuesday, November 17, at 18:30 at the Yanmar Stadion in Almere. Omroep Brabant noted that players such as Willem II striker Devin Haen are preparing for this high-stakes contest after retaining their spots in Reiziger’s setup.
Jerayno joining Jong Oranje for the first time. đź‘Ź pic.twitter.com/SX9ZmTYrN4
The winner of the playoff tie will advance to the sixteen-team final tournament in the Balkans. With automated qualification already secured for the two host nations, fourteen other teams fought through the traditional qualifying groups before leaving eight nations—including the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Czechia, and Turkey—to contest the final four tickets through these play-offs.
Disclaimer: The insights provided in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or sports betting recommendations.
