Jonathan de Guzmán facts for kids
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De Guzmán in 2023 with Sparta Rotterdam
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jonathan Alexander de Guzmán | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 13 September 1987 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Scarborough, Ontario, Canada | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Sparta Rotterdam | |||||||||||||||
| Number | 6 | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| North Scarborough SC | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2005 | Feyenoord | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | Feyenoord | 109 | (23) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | Mallorca | 34 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | Villarreal | 20 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | → Swansea City (loan) | 71 | (9) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | Napoli | 23 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2016 | → Carpi (loan) | 5 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | → Chievo (loan) | 27 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 52 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2020–2022 | OFI | 42 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2022– | Sparta Rotterdam | 53 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Netherlands U21 | 4 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Netherlands | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11 August 2024 | ||||||||||||||||
Jonathan Alexander de Guzmán (born 13 September 1987) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Sparta Rotterdam.
Jonathan was born in Canada. However, he chose to play for the Netherlands after becoming a Dutch citizen in 2008. He had lived in the country since he was 12 years old. He grew up playing in the Feyenoord Academy. He made his first team debut in 2005 and played over 100 matches for the club in Rotterdam. In 2010, de Guzmán joined RCD Mallorca. The next year, he moved to Villarreal.
Jonathan played four times for the Netherlands U21 team, scoring three goals. He also played in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Later, he played 14 matches for the senior Netherlands team between 2013 and 2015.
In 2014, Jonathan was known for his great technique and vision. He was also good at shooting from far away. He was especially skilled at taking free-kicks.
Early Life and Family
Jonathan de Guzmán was born in Scarborough, Ontario, a part of Toronto, Canada. His father, Bobby, is from the Philippines, and his mother, Pauline, is from Jamaica. They moved to Canada when they were ten years old. Jonathan has an older sister, Jenelle, and an older brother, Julian de Guzman. Julian was also a professional football player. He played the most games for the Canada men's national soccer team. Julian was also the first Canadian to play in La Liga, Spain's top football league.
Football was a huge part of Jonathan's childhood. His father first wanted his sons to play basketball. But because the brothers were not very tall, they focused on other sports. Once they started playing football, they loved it. Jonathan said, "After school, all we did was playing football. That was pretty unusual in Canada, because almost nobody of our age did it. Canada is not a football country; we were exceptions."
Club Career Highlights
Youth Training
Jonathan started his youth football journey at North Scarborough Soccer Club in Canada. He trained six times a week to improve his skills. His brother, Julian, left Canada to join Olympique Marseille's youth academy in France. Two years later, when Jonathan was 12, he followed Julian to Europe. He joined the Feyenoord youth academy in the Netherlands. When he first arrived in Rotterdam, Jonathan lived with a family who worked for the club. He said, "I was basically her son for three years." At 15, he moved into a dormitory at Feyenoord. He even stayed there on weekends when other players went home.
Playing for Feyenoord
Starting Strong
Jonathan was not allowed to play for Feyenoord's main team until he turned 18. Just three days after his 18th birthday, on 15 September 2005, he was part of the first team squad. He made his official debut on 18 September 2005, in a home match against SC Heerenveen. He scored his first professional goal on 30 September 2005, against Willem II. After his debut, Jonathan quickly became a regular player for the team. He played 29 matches in the 2005–06 season and scored 4 goals. In December 2005, he signed a new contract with Feyenoord until 2010.
Facing Challenges
In the 2006–07 season, Feyenoord sold some of their best players. People had high hopes for Jonathan, but the team struggled. They finished 7th in the league. Jonathan even got a red card in a playoff match, which meant Feyenoord missed out on playing in Europe. He later said, "I was only 19 years old, I couldn't just tell everyone what to do. It was really a disappointing season."
For the 2007–08 season, experienced players like Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Roy Makaay joined Feyenoord. This took some pressure off Jonathan. However, the new manager, Bert van Marwijk, played him on the right wing instead of his usual midfield position. Jonathan played 33 league matches and scored nine goals that season.
Dealing with Injuries
Jonathan had a tough time with injuries. He was sent off in the first match of the 2008–09 season, which led to a four-match ban. Soon after, he started having groin, thigh, and knee problems. In January 2009, he had surgery on his knee and was out for the rest of the season. He only played two league matches that year.
He returned for the 2009–10 season. Despite interest from big clubs like Chelsea and Valencia, Jonathan stayed at Feyenoord. The new manager, Mario Been, wanted him to play in his favorite central midfield role. Jonathan started well, scoring three goals in nine matches. But more injuries followed. In October 2009, he needed surgery on his right knee. After returning, he got the same injury on his left knee in March 2010. Jonathan played his last game for Feyenoord in the KNVB Cup final, which they lost. He left the club for free.
Moving to Spain: Mallorca and Villarreal
On 27 July 2010, Jonathan signed a three-year contract with RCD Mallorca. He made his debut on 29 August 2010, in a 0–0 draw against Real Madrid. Three weeks later, he scored his first goal in La Liga in a 2–0 win against Osasuna. Jonathan had a strong first season, playing 33 league games and scoring 5 goals.
On 31 August 2011, Jonathan moved to Villarreal. He made his debut on 10 September. Days later, he played in the UEFA Champions League against Bayern Munich. He scored his first goal for Villarreal against Bayern Munich on 22 November. After a good start, Jonathan found it harder to get playing time under the new manager.
Loan to Swansea City
On 10 July 2012, Jonathan joined Swansea City in England on loan. He was happy to be reunited with his former coach, Michael Laudrup. He made his debut in a big 5–0 win against Queens Park Rangers. He scored his first goal for Swansea in a 3–1 League Cup win over Liverpool. Jonathan scored his first Premier League goal on 17 November against Newcastle United.
On 19 January 2013, he scored two goals against Stoke City, including a fantastic free-kick. He scored another two goals in Swansea's 5–0 League Cup Final victory over Bradford City at Wembley. This win gave Swansea their first major trophy ever! Jonathan's goal against Stoke City was even named Swansea's Goal of the Season. He stayed for a second loan season at Swansea. On 19 September, his amazing 30-yard free-kick helped Swansea win 3–0 against Valencia in the Europa League.
Playing in Italy: Napoli, Carpi, and Chievo
On 20 August 2014, Jonathan moved to the Italian club Napoli. He signed a four-year contract. He made his debut on 31 August, scoring the winning goal in the last minute against Genoa.
On 6 November 2014, he scored a hat-trick (three goals) in a 3–0 win against Young Boys in the Europa League. On 22 December, he helped Napoli win his first trophy with them, the Italian SuperCup. He made a great pass that led to a goal, helping his team tie the game against Juventus. In his first season in Italy, he played 36 games and scored 7 goals.
In March 2015, Jonathan started having stomach pains. He was told to rest, but the pain didn't go away. He was removed from the team and asked to leave on loan. He later said that some people at the club thought he was lying about his injury. When he was finally loaned to Carpi in January 2016, he got a second medical opinion and was diagnosed with a hernia.
On 28 January 2016, Jonathan joined Carpi on loan. He had surgery for his hernia right away. On 13 March 2016, he scored the winning goal from a penalty in a 2–1 win. On 26 August 2016, he joined Chievo on loan.
Eintracht Frankfurt
On 10 July 2017, Jonathan joined Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany. He signed a three-year contract. On 19 May 2018, he won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) with Eintracht Frankfurt. They beat Bayern Munich 3–1 in the final.
OFI and Sparta Rotterdam
On 19 October 2020, Jonathan signed a one-year deal with the Greek club OFI. On 22 July 2022, he signed a contract with Sparta Rotterdam for one year, with a chance to extend it.
International Career
There was a lot of talk about which country Jonathan would choose to play for. He decided to play for the Dutch national team after becoming a Dutch citizen in February 2008. This decision disappointed many in Canada. His brother, Julian, played the most games for the Canada men's national soccer team.
Jonathan made his international debut for the Netherlands U21 squad on 26 March 2008. He scored two goals and helped with another in a 3–0 win. He was then chosen for the Netherlands squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
In 2011, Jonathan said he was interested in playing with his brother Julian for the Canadian team. But in 2012, he said he was committed to the Dutch national team. On 23 January 2013, he was called up to the Netherlands senior squad and made his debut in a friendly match against Italy. On 31 May 2014, Jonathan was named to the Netherlands team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started their first match against Spain on 13 June, which they won 5–1.
Personal Life
Jonathan de Guzmán has a son named Jaden, who was born on 18 January 2007. Jaden also plays football at the Feyenoord Academy. He plays alongside Shaqueel, the son of famous Dutch footballer Robin van Persie.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Feyenoord | 2005–06 | Eredivisie | 29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 5 |
| 2006–07 | Eredivisie | 32 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 8 | |
| 2007–08 | Eredivisie | 33 | 9 | 6 | 2 | — | — | 39 | 11 | |||
| 2008–09 | Eredivisie | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | ||
| 2009–10 | Eredivisie | 13 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 3 | |||
| Total | 109 | 23 | 10 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 130 | 26 | ||
| Mallorca | 2010–11 | La Liga | 33 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 36 | 6 | ||
| 2011–12 | La Liga | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1 | |||
| Total | 34 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 37 | 7 | |||
| Villarreal | 2011–12 | La Liga | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | — | 26 | 1 | |
| Swansea City (loan) | 2012–13 | Premier League | 37 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | 6 | 3 | 45 | 8 | |
| 2013–14 | Premier League | 34 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 7 | |
| Total | 71 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 93 | 16 | ||
| Napoli | 2014–15 | Serie A | 23 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 7 |
| Carpi (loan) | 2015–16 | Serie A | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||
| Chievo (loan) | 2016–17 | Serie A | 27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 2 | ||
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 2017–18 | Bundesliga | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | Bundesliga | 28 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 3 | |
| 2019–20 | Bundesliga | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 10 | 1 | ||
| Total | 52 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 68 | 4 | ||
| OFI | 2020–21 | Super League Greece | 17 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 17 | 5 | ||
| 2021–22 | Super League Greece | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 0 | |||
| Total | 40 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 42 | 5 | ||||
| Sparta Rotterdam | 2022–23 | Eredivisie | 21 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 21 | 2 | |
| 2023–24 | Eredivisie | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 33 | 1 | ||
| 2024–25 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 53 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 55 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 433 | 55 | 32 | 4 | 44 | 9 | 13 | 3 | 521 | 69 | ||
Trophies and Awards
Feyenoord
- KNVB Cup: 2007–08
Swansea City
- Football League Cup: 2012–13
Napoli
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2014
Eintracht Frankfurt
- DFB-Pokal: 2017–18
Netherlands
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2014
See also
In Spanish: Jonathan de Guzmán para niños
