Football: Ronald Koeman replaces Dick Advocaat as Netherlands new manager

Ronald Koeman has been appointed as the new manager of the Netherlands to replace Dick Advocaat.

The former Everton and Southampton manager, who has been without a job since his appointment was terminated by Everton last year October after a disastrous run of form at Goodison Park, will now take charge of Holland national team.

The dutch man, after guiding the merceyside club to a seventh place finish the previous season, was found wanting 18th in the Premier League table at the beginning of this current campaign despite spending around £150million on new signings in the summer prompting his sack.

Koeman will be coaching a side who failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the second successive tournament they have missed out on.

He has signed a four-and-half-year contract which will keep him at the job till 2022, the year for the next FIFA world cup and his first game will be against England on the 23rd of March 2018 in a friendly encounter.

The 54-year-old replaces Dick Advocaat who resigned after failing to guide the Netherlands to the 2018 World Cup.

Koeman said at a new conference after being confirmed as coach, “I’m really positive about the future of the team. We have enough talent but we have to change some things, which I will talk about at a later stage,”

The Dutchman has as well had managerial spells at Vitesse, Ajax, Benfica, PSV, Valencia, AZ and Feyenoord and was also previously assistant coach at Barcelona and Holland national team.

He has 78 caps to his name during international career as a Netherland player which spanned for a period of 12 years and saw him win Euro 1988.

Holland were runners-up at the 2010 World Cup and finished third in 2014 in Brazil but have since failed to qualify for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup.