Nigel de Jong facts for kids
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De Jong with the Netherlands national team in 2011
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Nigel de Jong | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 30 November 1984 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–2002 | Ajax | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2006 | Ajax | 96 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Hamburger SV | 66 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Manchester City | 104 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2016 | AC Milan | 79 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | LA Galaxy | 18 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Galatasaray | 18 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Mainz 05 | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Al Ahli | 21 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2021 | Al-Shahania | 36 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 449 | (24) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Netherlands U21 | 10 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2015 | Netherlands | 81 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Nigel de Jong (born November 30, 1984) is a Dutch football player who used to play professionally as a defensive midfielder. He is now the technical director for the KNVB, which is the main Dutch football organization. He has also worked as a football expert on TV for beIN Sports, covering games like the Premier League and Champions League. He also worked for ITV during the Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup tournaments.
De Jong started playing football at the Ajax youth academy and joined the main team when he was 17. In 2006, he moved to Hamburg and then joined Manchester City in January 2009. He became a very important player in their midfield. He was known for being a strong and determined player, which earned him nicknames like "The Destroyer" and "Lawnmower". In August 2012, he moved to the Italian team AC Milan. Later, in February 2016, he joined the MLS team LA Galaxy. After that, he played for Galatasaray in Turkey, Mainz 05 in Germany, and Al Ahli and Al-Shahania in Qatar.
De Jong played his first international game for the Netherlands when he was 19. He played 81 games for his country between 2004 and 2015, scoring one goal. He played in two European Championships and two FIFA World Cup tournaments with the Netherlands. He won a silver medal at the 2010 World Cup and a bronze medal at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Early Life and Family
Nigel de Jong was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His family background is a mix of Surinamese, Dutch, and Indonesian heritage. His father, Jerry de Jong, was also a famous Dutch international football player.
Nigel is married to Winonah, who is a model and fashion designer. They have two children together. He also owns a special car dealership called Continental Cars, which operates in Europe and the Middle East. Nigel de Jong has been a fan of AC Milan since he was a child.
Club Football Career
Playing for Ajax
Nigel de Jong made his first appearance for the Ajax senior team on October 19, 2002. He scored his first goal as a professional player on February 18, 2003, in a Champions League match against Arsenal, which ended in a 1–1 draw. The next season, he became a regular player for Ajax, and the team won the Eredivisie title. In the 2004–05 season, which was his last full season in Amsterdam, De Jong was named Ajax Player of the Season. After a while, he started to spend more time on the bench than in the starting lineup. On December 7, 2005, it was announced that De Jong would not extend his contract with Ajax, which was set to end in July 2006.
Moving to Hamburg
On January 26, 2006, De Jong signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the German club Hamburg, which plays in the Bundesliga. The transfer fee was about €1 million. At Hamburg, he joined two other Dutch players, Rafael van der Vaart and Khalid Boulahrouz. He played his first game for Hamburg two days later in a 2–1 loss against Nürnberg. In March 2006, De Jong scored the winning goal in a game against Bayern Munich, which was Bayern's first-ever loss at their home stadium, the Allianz Arena. The next week, he received his first red card in his career during a UEFA Cup match against Rapid București. His season ended early in April because he needed surgery on a knee problem. This injury also meant he could not play for the Dutch team in the 2006 World Cup.
Time at Manchester City
On January 21, 2009, Nigel de Jong joined Manchester City. The manager, Mark Hughes, brought him in to strengthen the midfield. He signed a four-and-a-half-year contract and was given the number 34 shirt. He played his first game for Manchester City against Newcastle United on January 28, 2009. He played 16 games in the Premier League during the second half of that season.
De Jong started the game against Arsenal on September 12, 2009. He was named the best player of the match by Sky Sports in a 2–1 win over Chelsea on December 5, 2009. By the end of that season, he had become a favorite among fans and was one of the first players chosen by the new manager, Roberto Mancini, for the defensive midfield role. Manchester City just missed out on a Champions League spot that year. De Jong scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 2–1 win against West Ham United on May 1, 2011.
De Jong was part of the Manchester City team that won the 2010–11 FA Cup and the 2011–12 Premier League. He played 137 games for the club and scored two goals before moving to A.C. Milan in August 2012.
Playing for AC Milan
On August 31, 2012, De Jong joined the Italian club AC Milan. The transfer fee was about £3.5 million, which could go up to £5 million depending on how many games he played. He signed a three-year deal. On September 1, De Jong made his debut for Milan against Bologna. He scored his first goal for Milan in a 3–2 loss against Lazio on October 20.
On May 4, 2014, De Jong scored his second goal for Milan. It was the winning goal against Inter Milan in the Derby della Madonnina, a big local derby game, at the San Siro stadium.
On June 26, 2015, Milan announced that De Jong had signed a new contract to stay with the club until 2018.
Time with LA Galaxy
On January 31, 2016, it was reported that De Jong had ended his contract with Milan and joined LA Galaxy for free, signing a one-year deal. He was involved in a strong tackle during a game against the Portland Timbers on April 10, which left Darlington Nagbe needing medical attention. De Jong only received a yellow card from the referee, but he was later suspended for three games. He received a red card after another strong tackle on Blas Perez on July 5. Even though they were a player down, the Galaxy still managed to win the game against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
On August 29, 2016, the Galaxy announced that they and De Jong had agreed to end his contract. This allowed the 31-year-old to sign with Galatasaray in Turkey. He played in 18 regular season games for Los Angeles, but he did not score any goals or make any assists. However, he was a key defensive midfielder for the team.
Later Career Teams
On August 31, 2016, De Jong signed a two-year deal with the Turkish team Galatasaray.
On January 5, 2018, De Jong's contract with Galatasaray was ended. On the same day, he joined the German Bundesliga team Mainz 05 for free. In July 2018, De Jong moved to the Qatari club Al Ahli. A year later, he moved to Al-Shahania in the same league.
International Career
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On March 31, 2004, De Jong played his first game for the Netherlands national team in a friendly match against France. He was not chosen for the team that played in UEFA Euro 2004, and he missed the 2006 FIFA World Cup because of a knee injury. He was selected by manager Marco van Basten to play for the Dutch team at UEFA Euro 2008. During this tournament, he played as a "screening midfielder," working with Orlando Engelaar in the middle of the field. De Jong played in three of the four games that saw the Netherlands reach the quarter-finals, where they lost to Russia. De Jong scored his first international goal against Iceland on June 6, 2009, in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match. This goal helped the Netherlands secure their spot in the 2010 World Cup.
De Jong was part of the Dutch team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, managed by Bert van Marwijk. He started in their first game of the tournament, a 2–0 win over Denmark. He was suspended for the semi-final match against Uruguay because he received his second yellow card of the tournament in the Netherlands' quarter-final win over Brazil. He played in the World Cup Final, which the Netherlands lost 1–0 to Spain after extra time. In the early part of that match, De Jong made a high challenge on Spanish player Xabi Alonso. The referee, Howard Webb, later said that he would have sent De Jong off if he had seen the incident more clearly.
De Jong was also part of the Netherlands team for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament. The Dutch team was eliminated in the first round after losing all three of their matches.
He was also chosen for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He started in all three of the group stage matches. However, a groin injury caused him to be substituted early in the Round of 16 match win over Mexico. It was later confirmed that De Jong would not be able to play any more in the tournament. Despite this, he later recovered and played 62 minutes of the semi-final against Argentina. The Netherlands lost that game 4–2 in a penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw.
Technical Director Role
On January 4, 2023, Nigel de Jong was appointed as the technical director of the KNVB, the Dutch football association. In this job, he oversees the country's national teams. He is also responsible for creating and putting into action football-related policies for clubs across the Netherlands.
Style of Play
Nigel de Jong started his career as a more attacking and creative midfielder or even a forward. At Ajax, he played in several positions, including central midfield and on the right wing. De Jong says that his change to a defensive player happened because of Huub Stevens, his coach at Hamburg. He was known for his strong effort and determination. This new way of playing in midfield earned him nicknames like "der Rasenmäher" ("the Lawnmower"), "The Terrier," and "The Destroyer." De Jong usually played as the most defensive midfielder on his team. When his team's defenders had the ball, De Jong would often drop back to receive it. Sometimes, De Jong was the only defensive midfielder, but often he played alongside another defensive player, like Gareth Barry at Manchester City or Mark van Bommel for the Dutch national team. Besides his strong defending and ability to cover a lot of ground, De Jong was also a good passer. In the 2010–11 Premier League season, he had the highest passing completion rate among the top 50 players, at 90%.
Even though he was a skilled player and considered one of the best defensive midfielders at his peak, De Jong also received some criticism for his very physical and strong playing style. This included comments from his former Dutch national team manager, Van Marwijk. During a friendly international game on March 3, 2010, De Jong was involved in a challenge that resulted in Bolton Wanderers' American player Stuart Holden getting an injury. On October 3, 2010, in a Premier League match against Newcastle United, a tackle by De Jong on Hatem Ben Arfa led to Ben Arfa being carried off the field with a leg injury. De Jong was later temporarily removed from the Dutch national team by his coach Van Marwijk, but he was later allowed to return. However, during his time at Manchester City, De Jong was never shown a direct red card. Despite his reputation as a strong-tackling player, De Jong's first direct red card in an official game happened with Milan, in a Serie A match against Verona on December 13, 2015. Before that, he had only been sent off once for two yellow cards in a game for Hamburg. In April 2016, while playing for the LA Galaxy, De Jong was involved in another strong tackle that led to Portland Timbers midfielder Darlington Nagbe leaving the field with an injury. This tackle resulted in a 3-game suspension for De Jong after a review.
In December 2013, a Spanish football website ranked De Jong among the top ten "strongest" footballers in the world. This style of play also led a French newspaper to call him a very "intense" footballer.
Honours
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2003–04
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2005
Manchester City
- Premier League: 2011–12
- FA Cup: 2010–11
- FA Community Shield: 2012
Netherlands
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010; third place: 2014
Individual
- Ajax Player of the Year (Rinus Michels Award): 2004–05
See also
In Spanish: Nigel de Jong para niños
