Siri Worm is delighted to be back involved with the Netherlands national team – even if her recent call-up caught her by surprise.
The Everton Ladies defender has not played for her country since a March 2017 win over Sweden in the Algarve Cup, and missed out completely as Oranje lifted the European Championships in August last year.
Worm admits she chose to focus on doing well for Everton after she missed out on subsequent squads for the Netherlands’ World Cup qualifiers at the end of 2017, and that approach has paid off.
Having made her debut for the Blue Girls against Liverpool on the opening day of the WSL 1 season, she had been in and out the side before cementing a place in the starting line-up in December.
Her subsequent form has seen her earn an international recall to the Dutch squad and she will fly out for a training camp in La Manga in Spain later this month, as they prepare for the upcoming Algarve Cup tournament in late February.
“I’m very happy to be back in the squad,” Worm told evertonfc.com. “I didn’t expect the call-up so it’s great to be going to La Manga. I’m looking forward to going out there and showing them the improvements I have made over the last six months I’ve been at Everton.
“I’ve missed out on past squads because I was not playing but I still feel like have improved month on month here. That has made it easy for me to make steps forward and I am excited to show what I can do.
“It’s been nice to see a few of the Dutch girls when we have played against them. Marthe [Munsterman] and I have known them for a very long time so it’s fun to be able to spend time with them, even if its just on matchday.
“It will be great to see them again out in La Manga. It’s been a while since I saw them all so I am looking forward to it.
“For the last squad, I was not even on the standby list so I said to myself that I wouldn’t think about Holland and only focus on Everton because you’ll only be disappointed every time you aren’t in it. So to get called up was a surprise for me and I am going to enjoy every second of it.”
While out in Spain, the Netherlands face England in a friendly, meaning Worm could line up against Toffees teammate Gabby George, who was named in Mo Marley’s Lionesses squad for their own camp in La Manga.
This is the second time the Everton defender has been named in the England squad, having been a late call-up for their World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan back in November. However, she was not included in the matchday squad for the 5-0 success in Colchester.
At 25 and with 31 caps under her belt, Worm has tread the path George is currently walking, and has backed her defensive colleague to push through into the England senior squad.
“I would tell her to just enjoy it - every trip, every game, everything,” she added. “After I had made my debut in 2012, I picked up an injury soon after and it was like I had to start again. But because of that, I enjoy the game more than before. I know where I came from.
“So while it sounds like a cliché, I would tell Gabby to just enjoy every moment. Not every player can say they have played for their national team so you’ve got to enjoy it.
“I’m pleased we have both been called up for our countries and hopefully we can play against each other in La Manga.”
