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The World Cup final proved to be a step too far for Jackie Groenen and the Netherlands, as two second-half goals saw the United States secure a 2-0 win to defend their crown.

Nevertheless, it was a superb tournament for a Netherlands side who qualified for the World Cup for the first time only four years ago and showed great progress, building upon victory at the European Championships in 2017.

A young squad gives the Netherlands a strong platform to build upon in the coming years ahead of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and the 2021 European Championships, which will be held in England.

24-year-old Groenen is set to play a crucial part in the continued rise of her national side and is also set for a new venture next year, as she links up with Casey Stoney's Manchester United .

United are preparing for their first-ever Women's Super League campaign after winning the Championship title last season to earn promotion to the top-flight and will face a baptism of fire in an opening clash with rivals Manchester City.

Groenen, having appeared in all seven of the Netherlands' World Cup matches in France, is expected to slot straight into the Manchester United midfield and her workrate is a key part of her game.

The young midfielder covered a staggering 74km during the World Cup, almost the distance of two marathons, and her performances often went under the radar when compared to teammates like Sherida Spitze and Danielle Van de Donk.

She was the undisputed hero in the semi-finals though as she struck the only goal of the game in extra time against Sweden to send the Netherlands through to the final in Lyon.

That was just the third international goal for the former Chelsea midfielder in 54 appearances, which shows she isn't a player you should expect to see on the scoresheet regularly.

Last season she scored two goals in 16 matches for FFC Frankfurt, while her best-ever scoring tally in a league campaign was a total of six in 2017-18.

That is not her style though, as her main asset is certainly her work rate and willingness to get stuck in - which for the Netherlands was crucial, allowing the likes of Van de Donk to see more of the ball.

Her role with Manchester United could be similar, providing Mollie Green with the ball as much as she can - as the 21-year-old scored a total of 16 goals across all competitions next season.

Returning to the Women's Super League will be a stern test for Groenen, who never really got a chance at Chelsea, but she has shown at this World Cup that she is more than ready.