He might sing about the ‘losing game’ of love, but Dutch pundits are wondering if Duncan Laurence has a chance at winning the Eurovision song contest this year.

The song Arcade, written by the 24-year-old from Spijkenisse, was chosen as the Netherlands’ entry on Thursday.

Stefan Raatgever in the Parool called it a ‘beautifully stylised, quality ballad’, praising the craftsmanship of the song writing and Laurence’s ‘intriguing’ voice. He said he had high hopes for it, although warned that the performance on the night and other entries would decide the result.

Bookmakers Unibet and 888Sport also gave it the best chance of winning, reported the AD. Earlier this year selection committee member Eric van Stade told the AD: ‘We were blown off our feet by this song.’

Laurence – whose real surname is De Moor – has said that it was inspired by a loved one who had died young but became a ‘shared story…about the search for the love of your life.’

The song contest will be held in Tel Aviv in May. The Netherlands has not won since 1975 but reached the grand final in the past two years.