.jpg) De Jong with the Netherlands national team in 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nigel de Jong[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 30 November 1984[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder[4] | |||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||
Nigel de Jong (born 30 November 1984) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. He is currently the technical director of the KNVB, the national Dutch football federation. He has also worked as an English language pundit for beIN Sports covering Premier League and Champions League football as well as for ITV for Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup.
De Jong joined the Ajax youth academy and made the first team at age 17. He moved in 2006 to join Hamburg and then joined Manchester City in January 2009 for an estimated £18 million,[5] where he became an important part of their holding midfield. A tireless grafter, he garnered a reputation of being a combative and feisty player in his performances, a reputation that earned him nicknames such as "The Destroyer" and "Lawnmower".[6][7] He moved to Italian side AC Milan in August 2012, before joining MLS side LA Galaxy in February 2016. He subsequently had spells with Galatasaray in Turkey, Mainz 05 in Germany, and Al Ahli and Al-Shahania in Qatar.
De Jong made his international debut at the age of 19, and obtained 81 caps between 2004 and 2015, scoring one goal. He took part at two European Championships and two editions of the FIFA World Cup with the Netherlands, winning a World Cup runners-up medal in 2010, and a bronze medal at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil: List of Players: Netherlands" (PDF). FIFA. 14 July 2014. p. 25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 February 2020.
- ^ "Nigel de Jong: Overview". ESPN. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
PremProfilewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Nigel de Jong: Profile". worldfootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. 13 January 2018. Retrieved 12 May 2020.
- ^ "Manchester City agree fee for Hamburg's Nigel de Jong". telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph Media Group Limited. 19 January 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
- ^ "Nigel de Jong: I Am A Training Animal". goal.com. 25 January 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
- ^ Wilson, Paul (22 January 2011). "Bolton's Stuart Holden: 'I got the x-ray results and thought: not again'". London: Guardian. Retrieved 22 January 2011.