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Nigel de Jong

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Nigel de Jong
Personal information
Full name Nigel de Jong
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Manchester City
Number 34
Youth career
1993–2001 Ajax
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2006 Ajax 96 (8)
2006–2009 Hamburg 66 (2)
2009– Manchester City 56 (0)
International career‡
2004– Netherlands 48 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:38, 26 September 2010 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15:57, 26 July 2010 (UTC)

Nigel de Jong (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈnɑjdʒəl də ˈjɔŋ]; born 30 November 1984) is a Dutch footballer who plays for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team. The defensive midfielder joined the famous Ajax youth academy as a youngster and worked his way through the ranks to make the first team at age seventeen. Two years later, he made his international debut, in an international career that resulted in a 2010 World Cup runner-up medal.

De Jong moved on from Ajax in 2006 to join Hamburg in search of first team football and then moved to Manchester City in January 2009 for an estimated £18 million[2] and has since become an important part of City's defensive midfield.

A tireless grafter,[3] he has garnered a reputation of being a combative and feisty player in his performances, a reputation that has earned him the nicknames of the lawnmower[4] and the terrier.[3]

Club career

On 19 October 2002, de Jong made his debut for the Ajax first team. After a period when he appeared regularly in midfield and defence, he found himself sitting on the bench more often than being in the starting line-up. In January 2006, he signed with German Bundesliga club Hamburg. There, he scored the winning goal in Bayern Munich's first defeat of any kind at their new home ground.

Manchester City

On 21 January 2009, de Jong moved to Manchester City for £17 million and was given the number 34 shirt. He made his debut for the club against Newcastle United on 28 January 2009 and went on to establish himself as the team's holding midfielder, making sixteen starting appearances in the Premier League over the second half of the season.

After starting the first three games of the 2009/10 season on the bench, de Jong was given a start against Arsenal on 12 September 2009 and then retained his place in the side, impressing with his physical performances alongside Gareth Barry. He was named Man of the Match against Chelsea F.C. on 5 December 2009, describing his performance as "As good a ninety minutes as I have played in my career."

International career

On 31 March 2004, de Jong made his debut with the Netherlands in a friendly game against France. He was overlooked for the squad that went to play in Euro 2004, and missed the 2006 World Cup with a knee injury.

He was picked by Marco van Basten to play for the Dutch national team at Euro 2008. He played the full 90 minutes in the Netherlands' 3–0 victory over Italy, in which he was given a yellow card for a foul on Massimo Ambrosini. He also played the full 90 minutes in the 4–1 victory over France on 13 June 2008. During the tournament, he was played as a "screening midfielder," partnering with Orlando Engelaar in van Basten's new 4–2–3–1 formation. The team conceded only one goal in the group stage.

He scored his first international goal against Iceland on 6 June 2009 in a World Cup qualifying match.

During a 3 March 2010 friendly, de Jong broke the leg of American international Stuart Holden in a reckless challenge, for which de Jong received a yellow card. De Jong showed no remorse, stating that "Such offenses are part of football. I went for the ball and got the opponent at the end. I had no evil intent."[5]

2010 World Cup

De Jong was part of the Dutch team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup managed by Bert van Marwijk.[6] The player was in the starting line-up for their first match in the competition, a 2-0 victory over Denmark.[7] He played in the final of the competition which the Netherlands lost 1-0 to Spain after extra time. De Jong received a yellow card for a high tackle - a kick to the chest - on Xabi Alonso, which the latter called "the worst tackle I have ever suffered".[8]

Scores list Netherland's tally first.
Nigel de Jong: International Goals
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 6 June 2009 Laugardalsvöllur, Reykjavík, Iceland  Iceland
1 – 0
2 – 1
 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification

Career statistics

As of 24 May 2010[9]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Ajax 2002–03 17 0 0 0 0 0 10 1 27 1
2003–04 32 2 0 0 0 0 5 0 37 2
2004–05 31 5 0 0 0 0 8 1 39 6
2005–06 16 2 0 0 0 0 7 3 23 5
Total 96 9 0 0 0 0 30 5 126 14
Hamburg 2005–06 12 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 15 1
2006–07 18 1 0 0 0 0 5 1 23 2
2007–08 29 1 0 0 0 0 6 1 35 2
2008–09 7 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 11 0
Total 66 3 2 0 0 0 16 2 84 5
Manchester City 2008–09 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 16 0
2009–10 34 0 3 0 5 0 0 0 42 0
2010–11 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 0
Total 50 0 3 0 5 0 0 0 58 0
Career total 212 12 5 0 5 0 46 7 268 19

Personal life

De Jong is married to Winonah, with whom he has two children: a daughter named Isaura-Siënna and a son named Kyan. His father is former Dutch international Jerry de Jong who abandoned him in his youth to live with his mother in council housing.<ref>http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1120777/15m-De-Jong-geared-Eastlands-experience.html<ref>

He owns a specialist car dealership located in Europe and the Middle East.<ref>thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article2215087.ece<ref>

Honours

Club

Ajax

International

Netherlands

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Hamburg Profile". Hamburg. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  2. ^ "Manchester City agree fee for Hamburg's Nigel de Jong". London: telegraph.co.uk. 19 January 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Nigel De Jong: I Am A Training Animal". goal.com. 25 January 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  4. ^ Taylor, Daniel (9 May 2009). "De Jong admits that City need to find a winning mentality". London: guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  5. ^ "Bolton star Stuart Holden faces race for finals after breaking leg in challenge with Manchester City's Nigel de Jong". London: Daily Mail. 4 March 2010.
  6. ^ "Holland coach Bert van Marwijk finalises World Cup squad". London: The Guardian. Press Association. 27 May 2010. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
  7. ^ "Netherlands-Denmark". FIFA.com. 14 June 2010. Retrieved 16 June 2010.
  8. ^ ""Fue la entrada que más daño me ha hecho en la vida", asegura Xabi Alonso" (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  9. ^ "Nigel De Jong". Soccernet. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
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