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 | 54 | (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 10 June 2025 | ||||||||||||||||
Jonathan Alexander de Guzmán (born 13 September 1987) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Sparta Rotterdam.
Jonathan de Guzmán was born in Canada. However, he chose to play for the Netherlands after becoming a Dutch citizen in 2008. He had lived in the Netherlands since he was 12 years old. He grew up in the Feyenoord Academy and played over 100 matches for the club. In 2010, he joined RCD Mallorca, and the next year, he moved to Villarreal.
He 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.
Jonathan de Guzmán is known for his good technique, vision, and powerful shots from far away. He is also very skilled at taking free-kicks.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Jonathan de Guzmán was born in Scarborough, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto, Canada. His father, Bobby, is from the Philippines, and his mother, Pauline, is from Jamaica. They moved to Canada when they were young. Jonathan has an older brother, Julian de Guzman, and a sister, Jenelle.
Julian de Guzman was also a professional football player. He played more games for the Canadian national team than any other player when he retired. Julian was also the first Canadian to play in La Liga, a top Spanish football league.
Growing up, football was very important to the de Guzmán brothers. Their father first wanted them to play basketball. But because they were not very tall, they focused on other sports. When they started playing football, they loved it. Jonathan said playing football all the time after school was unusual in Canada, as it was not a big football country back then.
Club Career Highlights
Youth Training
Jonathan de Guzmán started his football journey at the North Scarborough Soccer Club in Canada. He trained six times a week to improve his skills. His older brother, Julian, left Canada to join a youth academy in France. Two years later, when Jonathan was 12, he followed his brother to Europe. He joined the Feyenoord youth academy in the Netherlands.
When he first arrived in Rotterdam, Jonathan lived with a club employee's family. He said, "I was basically her son for three years." At 15, he moved into a dormitory at Feyenoord. He stayed there even on weekends when other players went home to their families.
Playing for Feyenoord
Starting Strong
Jonathan de Guzmán could not 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. He made his official debut on 18 September 2005, in a match against SC Heerenveen. He scored his first professional goal on 30 September 2005, against Willem II.
After his first game, de Guzmán quickly became a regular player for Feyenoord. 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 expected a lot from de Guzmán, but the team finished in 7th place. De Guzmán was sent off with a red card in a playoff match, which meant Feyenoord missed out on playing in European competitions. He later said that there was too much pressure on him as he was only 19.
For the 2007–08 season, experienced players like Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Roy Makaay joined Feyenoord. This helped take some pressure off de Guzmán. However, the new manager, Bert van Marwijk, played him on the right wing instead of his usual midfield position. De Guzmán still played well, scoring nine goals in 33 league matches.
Dealing with Injuries
De Guzmán had hoped to move to Manchester City, but the clubs could not agree on a transfer fee. He stayed at Feyenoord but had a tough start to the season. He received a red card in the first league match, leading to a four-match ban.
Soon after, he started having physical problems. These led to a serious knee surgery in January 2009, which kept him out for the rest of the season. He only played two league matches in the 2008–09 season.
He returned for the 2009–10 season. Despite interest from other big clubs, he stayed at Feyenoord. He started well, scoring three goals in nine matches. But injuries continued to bother him. He had another knee injury in October 2009 and then again in March 2010.
De Guzmán played his last game for Feyenoord in the KNVB Cup final in May 2010. Feyenoord lost the match, and he left the club as a free agent.
Moving to Spain: Mallorca and Villarreal
On 27 July 2010, de Guzmán signed a three-year contract with Mallorca in Spain. He made a great debut against Real Madrid, which ended in a 0–0 draw. Three weeks later, he scored his first goal in La Liga against Osasuna. He had a strong first season, scoring 5 goals in 33 league games.
On 31 August 2011, de Guzmán 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 in November. However, he later struggled to get playing time under a new manager.
Loan to Swansea City
On 10 July 2012, de Guzmán joined Swansea City in England on loan. This reunited him with his former coach, Michael Laudrup. He made his debut in a big 5–0 win. He scored his first goal for Swansea in a League Cup match against Liverpool on 31 October 2012.
He scored his first Premier League goal for Swansea 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 win over Bradford City in the League Cup Final on 24 February 2013. This win gave Swansea their first major trophy. His goal against Stoke City was named Swansea's Goal of the Season. He stayed for a second season on loan at Swansea.
Playing in Italy: Napoli, Carpi, and Chievo
On 20 August 2014, de Guzmán moved to Serie A club Napoli in Italy, signing a four-year contract. He made his debut on 31 August, scoring the winning goal in the last minute of extra time against Genoa.
On 6 November 2014, he scored three goals (a hat-trick) in a 3–0 win against Young Boys in the Europa League. In December, he helped Napoli win the Supercoppa Italiana, a prestigious Italian trophy. He played 36 games and scored 7 goals in his first season in Italy.
In March 2015, de Guzmán started having abdominal pains. He was told to rest, but the pain did not go away. He was later loaned to Carpi in January 2016. He had surgery for a hernia. On 13 March 2016, he scored the winning goal for Carpi from a penalty.
On 26 August 2016, de Guzmán joined Chievo on loan. He wore the unusual number 1 shirt as a field player during his time there.
Eintracht Frankfurt
On 10 July 2017, de Guzmán joined Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany on a three-year contract. On 19 May 2018, he won the DFB-Pokal (German Cup) with Eintracht Frankfurt. They defeated Bayern Munich 3–1 in the final match.
OFI and Sparta Rotterdam
On 19 October 2020, de Guzmán signed a one-year deal with OFI, a club in Greece.
On 22 July 2022, de Guzmán signed a contract with Sparta Rotterdam for one year, with an option to extend. He continues to play for Sparta Rotterdam as of July 2025.
International Career
Jonathan de Guzmán had to choose which country to play for internationally. After much thought, he decided to play for the Dutch national team once he received his Dutch citizenship in February 2008. This decision disappointed many in Canada.
He made his international debut for the Netherlands U21 squad on 26 March 2008. He played a big part in their 3–0 win, scoring two goals and assisting another. He was later chosen for the Netherlands squad for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
In 2011, de Guzmán showed interest in playing with his brother Julian for the Canadian team. However, in 2012, he confirmed his commitment to the Dutch national team. On 23 January 2013, he was called up to the senior Netherlands squad and made his debut in a friendly match against Italy.
On 31 May 2014, de Guzmán was named to the Netherlands team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started in their first group match against Spain on 13 June, which the Netherlands 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, just like his father.
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 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 54 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 56 | 3 | |||
| Career total | 434 | 55 | 32 | 4 | 44 | 9 | 13 | 3 | 522 | 69 | ||
Honours and Achievements
Jonathan de Guzmán has won several trophies with his clubs and played a key role in his national team's success:
- Feyenoord
* KNVB Cup: 2007–08 (Dutch Cup)
- Swansea City
* Football League Cup: 2012–13 (English League Cup)
- Napoli
* Supercoppa Italiana: 2014 (Italian Super Cup)
- Eintracht Frankfurt
* DFB-Pokal: 2017–18 (German Cup)
- Netherlands
* FIFA World Cup third place: 2014
See also
In Spanish: Jonathan de Guzmán para niños
