Courtesy: FirstSportz
Frenkie de Jong is known for his great passing abilities, but he is also a good dribbler. This combination has elevated him to one of the ranks of the game’s most exciting prospects. Almost all of his coaches have commended his ability to read the game and produce important interceptions.
Here are some little known facts about the Dutch international:
1. Frenkie de Jong was born on May 12, 1997:
This is just two days before FC Barcelona won the European Cup Winners’ Cup for the fourth time under Sir Bobby Robson. The final was held in Rotterdam, Holland, by chance.
2. Frenkie de Jong joined Ajax for just €1
Frenkie joined Barcelona from Ajax, but while the latter is well-known for its youth system, he really came up through the ranks at Willem II before joining Ajax for the symbolic amount of €1. Willem II was promised a portion of any sell-on transfer fee in exchange for allowing the rising star to depart for free, and they paid off when de Jong made a big-money move to Barcelona in 2019.
3. Frenkie de Jong wears number 21 for an important reason:
Frenkie wears the number 21, which is not the first choice of many famous midfielders, as an homage to his grandfather, Hans, who died on the day his grandson turned 21. He’s worn the same number since breaking into the Ajax first team in 2016, and he’s now wearing it at Barcelona.
4. Frenkie de Jong’s friendship with Abdelhak Nouri
Nouri, the Ajax teenager who tragically collapsed due to cardiac arrhythmia and fell into a coma in a pre-season friendly in 2017, was Frenkie’s close buddy as they progressed through the ranks at the Amsterdam club. De Jong frequently visited his friend in the hospital, and on one of these visits, he mentioned the possibility of relocating to Barcelona. A reaction that De Jong took as an endorsement of the move and as a “very special moment.”
5. He is the 20th Dutchman at Barcelona:
Barça has a long history with the Netherlands and Dutch football, dating back to the days of Johan Cruyff and continuing with Ronald Koeman and Patrick Kluivert. De Jong becomes the club’s 20th Dutch player, with only Spain and Brazil having more in club history.
Currently, De Jong is preparing for the Euros and hopes to win it with the Netherlands. He’s accompanied by the future Barcelona prospect Memphis Depay. How far do you think Netherlands will reach?