Roma are in talks to bring the former Bologna star back to Italy in January.
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Verbeek coached Zirkzee as a junior player at VV Hekelingen and told TMW: . "He came to us at five years old and his talent was already evident.
"He stood out from the others, and he already had that hair, maybe that's why we called him little Gullit."
He also said, "If he played more, he could definitely regain his form. The coach also plays a key role in this, and that's a good thing in (Roma coach Gian Piero) Gasperini's case.
"Roma are definitely doing well; I'm curious to watch the match against Juventus. Joshua could definitely be an ideal backup, if he adapts quickly. In Rome, he could resume his career with a positive attitude."