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DE VRIJ QUICK STEPS TO THE TOP
Daily Express
|July 10, 2024
Stefan's nifty footwork thanks to ex-Toffee
LESS than an hour after Holland had booked their place in a semi-final against England, lan Atkins' phone pinged.
"Who are you supporting then?" read the message.
Atkins grinned. His protege Inter Milan defender Stefan de Vrij, who scored in the quarter-final against Turkey (below) was jokingly questioning his loyalties.
For the ex-Everton title-winner, it was to be expected, the happy outcome of a surprise friendship born out of De Vrij tapping into the lesser-known teachings of an ex-ballroom dancing champion from England's North East.
Atkins was a convert himself during his playing days and has passed on the knowledge, an experience he hopes will not count against the Three Lions tonight.
This story is from the July 10, 2024 edition of Daily Express.
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