Senior Dutch internationals should be given a role in finding a replacement for national coach Danny Blind who was sacked last week, says Oranje team captain Arjen Robben.

Robben told reporters that he and Wesley Sneijder should have a say in the choice of coach because they have both been part of the national squad for 14 years.

‘We have built up the right experience with coaches over the years and we know what this squad needs and we have a good idea who would fit in,’ Robben said.

The Netherlands are in danger of missing out on next year’s World Cup and lost a friendly against Italy 1-2 on Tuesday night.

There is much speculation about who will take over from Blind, but several top candidates have already said they are not interested in the job, including Ronald Koeman and Frank de Boer.

The name of Louis van Gaal has also been widely mentioned. ‘I have a lot of respect for Van Gaal but it is still to early to talk about specific people,’ Robben said.

Van Gaal took Oranje to third place at the World Cup in Brazil but since then the squad’s fortunes have plummeted and they failed to qualify for last summer’s European Championship in France.

The Netherlands has plunged from 21st to 32nd place in the latest Fifa ranking.