LINETH BEERENSTEYN has come a long way since her playing days at ADO Den Haag where her talent was spotted at 15 by the Dutch club’s former boss Sarina Wiegman.
The striker, 26, who helped the Netherlands to Euros glory in 2017, is enjoying life at Juventus who play Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
The clash at the Emirates will see Joe Montemurro attempt to guide his Juve stars to victory against the team he led to a WSL title in 2019.
It will be the first time the Juventus head coach, whose players reached the Champions League quarter-finals last term, takes on his old club in North London since his June 2021 appointment.
Beerensteyn, who scored in the club’s 1-1 draw with the Gunners in November said: “Last season Juventus showed the whole world what they can do in the Champions League.
“They were also in a tough group then with Wolfsburg and Chelsea and at the end they went through and Chelsea went out.
Read More Football Stories
“This season it’s the same again with three really big clubs in the same group – Lyon, Arsenal and us.
“Anything can happen in this group. It’s still open and that’s also interesting, because you know that with every game you have to be at your very best.
“In the Champions League you want to play the best games and the best teams. The tournament is special.
“If you can play every game against big clubs, that, for me, is the best feeling you can have.”
Most read in Champions League
Beerensteyn has made a strong and swift impression on and off the pitch since signing for the Serie A champs in June after a five-year spell at Bayern Munich.
The Netherlands striker – who charmed her team-mates with a pop song medley during an club initiation ceremony – has netted five goals in 10 Serie A and Champions League games this term.
The Hague-born forward, who performed Beyonce’s Halo alongside Sara Gunnarsdottir, describes her move as the “perfect match” for herself and the five-time Italian top tier champions.
Beerensteyn added: “It was like a strong, family feeling when I came in.
“After the Euros when I came here it felt like coming home. The club, my team-mates, the coaches, everyone was so nice.
“Joe is a great coach and, for me, this was a good point to start a new journey after five years at Bayern Munich.
“He knows how to lead a big club and to reach a lot of things.
“The club wants to achieve a lot of things in the upcoming years and that for me is a big start to show what I can bring to this team.”
Among the present and past Gunners stars coached by Montemurro during his four-year Arsenal reign are Dutch aces Vivianne Miedema, Jill Roord and Danielle van de Donk.
Van de Donk, who now plays for Lyon and compatriot Miedema were part of the Arsenal squad that won the Women’s Super League title in 2019.
When asked if she picked their brains on their experiences under Montemurro, Beerensteyn said: “They all said he’s a great coach.
“Joe was direct about what he expects from me.
“That’s also what I expect for myself because I know what I can bring with my strengths and with my qualities.
“For me it was like a perfect match because I had this target and he had the same targets for me and that’s why it felt like a good (move).”
One coach who has had a significant impact on Beerensteyn’s journey as a player is Lionesses chief Sarina Wiegman.
In 2012 Wiegman, the two-time Euros-winning head coach, was in the fifth year of a seven-season spell managing ADO Den Haag.
You can see now with Sarina (Wiegman) managing England that what she did with us wasn’t a one-off.
Lineth Beerensteyn
That year she led the team, whose players then included Beerensteyn, to a Dutch Cup and top-flight title win.
And the Juventus forward credits Wiegman with giving her the break in a career that would also see her play for FC Twente and Bayern Munich before joining Juve this summer.
During Wiegman’s five-year reign as Netherlands head coach Beerensteyn was part of the squad that won their first Euros crown in 2017 and reached the World Cup final two years later.
The Holland forward, who has made 86 senior appearances for her country, said: “Sarina was a big influence for me personally because she was my first coach at ADO Den Haag.
“I was 15 and she gave me that chance.
“After that she was my coach on the national team and step by step she saw me growing. She had a huge impact on my career.
“It’s sad that she left us (the Netherlands), but you can see, now that Sarina is managing England, that what she did with us wasn’t a one-off.
“She is reaching it again with a different team, in a different country and with a different language.
“I have huge respect for her because she is a really good coach and person.”
Under new head coach Andries Jonker the Netherlands will be one of 32 sides competing in next year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
In 2019 Beerensteyn and her team-mates reached the final where they lost to tournament winners USA.
On the chances of her side going one better at next year’s tournament, Beerensteyn added: “First of all, we want to pass the group stage. That’s the first step and very important.
“With our quality, it doesn’t matter who is playing because we have such a strong group and if we show that, I think we can do something special.”
This weekend Holland’s men’s stars take on Argentina in a bid to reach their World Cup semis and set up a duel with Brazil or Croatia.
Beerensteyn added: “It will not be an easy game but they showed against the USA (who they beat 3-1) what they can do.
Read More on The Sun
“I think they will show this against Argentina and if they can be smart against (Lionel) Messi, they can win.”
*Arsenal’s Women’s Champions League game against Juventus will be aired live on DAZN’s channel on YouTube at 8pm on Wednesday night.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
