Maher learning from Dutch stars

Adam Maher says he is eager to learn from Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder while playing for the Netherlands.

Oranje coach Louis van Gaal stated earlier this week that the AZ midfielder is one of three candidates for the number 10 position, but Maher accepts that more experienced names remain ahead of him in the pecking order.

“The coach has told me that Sneijder and Van der Vaart are ahead of me in the hierarchy. I have to be patient and grab every chance I get. I can still learn a lot from them,” Maher told Goal.com.

“It’s a good thing for the team if they continue to do well. They can still be decisive. We’ve all seen that. The team is all that matters.

“They have World Cup and European championship experience. We have a good team with more experienced players and promising youngsters. That’s the most important thing.”

Maher came off the bench in the 74th minute of the Netherlands’ 4-0 win over Romania on Tuesday, and he was delighted with earning a fourth cap at senior level.

He added
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: “It’s fantastic that I got playing time. This is a really nice feeling. I got the chance to prove my worth and I think I did a good job. I tried to keep things simple.

“We took a big step toward the World Cup, and it’s now up to us to take that final step.”