Middlesbrough are adapting quickly to the most difficult league in the world, says midfielder Marten de Roon
Dutch midfielder says Premier League is 'very tough' but believes Boro are coping well
MARTEN DE ROON believes Middlesbrough are quickly adapting to the ‘most difficult league in the world’.
The Dutch midfielder joined the Teesside outfit this summer in a big money move form Serie A side Atalanta.
Boro’s 3-1 defeat at Everton on Saturday, their second successive setback, was the first full 90 minutes the 25-year-old had completed in the Premier League.
But the former Sparta Rotterdam and Heerenveen star has already seen enough of the English top-flight to know how difficult it is.
De Roon said: “The Premier League is so very, very tough. Holland is so different. Italy is so different. They are both slower.
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“In the Premier League there is such high intensity. Every game is a full 90 minutes going at top speed, running, attacking and defending.
“The pace never drops off and it is the same in every game, every week for every team.
“And there are so many good players in the Premier League. In the last few games we have played against Benteke of Palace and Lukaku of Everton and we will come up against others who are just as good if not better.
“It is the most exciting league of all and also the most difficult league and every game can change in one minute or five.”
De Roon arrived at Boro in July following the club’s promotion from the Championship.
His side had picked up five points from their first three games back in the big time, but the Toffees setback was their second consecutive defeat after the previous week’s 2-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace.
Although it has been a bit of a mixed bag, De Roon believes he and his team-mates are adapting well.
“We have done really well in most of the games so far and also we are just learning to adapt.
“We know it will be more difficult to keep clean sheets than the team did last year in the Championship but that’s normal because we are in the Premier League.
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“But we have started the season really well and we can be proud of that.
“The spirit of the team is really good. Confidence is really good. We have good quality. I believe we will do well in this season.”