Frenkie de Jong Childhood Story (See how it all started)
Frenkie de Jong’s Childhood Story
Super Frenkie De Jong was born on May 12, 1997, in the city of Arkel, Netherlands, sharing the same birthday as Brazilian player Marcelo.
From an early age, Frenkie was influenced by a football-loving family environment. His mother was a footballer, and his father John played as an amateur player for ASV Arkel’s first team. His grandfather was also an amateur player, and his younger brother Youri plays for ASV’s A1 team.
Frenkie grew up playing football for ASV Arkel, his local club, much to the pride of his parents. According to Frenkie:
“I could always be found playing football in the village with friends. It was something I loved doing when I wasn’t at school.”
His precocious talent soon attracted the attention of scouts, who, according to his father, were already looking for him when he was just five years old.
The first contact with football
At the age of seven, Frenkie was ready for more serious football challenges. In 2004, he tried out for two clubs: Feyenoord, a Dutch giant, and Willem II, a smaller club. He was accepted by both and opted for Willem II, surprising his family, who were die-hard Feyenoord fans.
Over time, this decision proved to be the right one for his development as a player.
A story from Frenkie de Jong to Willem II
At Willem II, Frenkie developed skills that defined his playing style, standing out for the ease with which he executed complex plays. He impressed coaches at different levels, especially under-15 coach Jos Bogers, who described him as a natural talent:
“Some players need to work hard to reach a certain level, but Frenkie didn’t need to train that much to demonstrate his quality.”
His performance was so impressive that many believed he was destined for stardom.
De Jong made his Eredivisie debut on 10 May 2015, playing for Willem II in a match against ADO Den Haag . He came off the bench as Willem II won 1–0. He was sold to Ajax on 22 August 2015, but remained at Willem II on loan until 31 December 2015.
History of Frenkie de Jong at Ajax
At the start of the season, on 22 August 2015, Ajax bought De Jong. He signed a four-year contract, for a symbolic fee of €1 million, which included a 10% sell-on bonus. On 23 August 2015, he was loaned back to Willem II until 31 December 2015. During that time, he made one substitute appearance in an Eredivisie match against PEC Zwolle .
Development and regular holder
In his first two years at Ajax, De Jong was in and out of the first team. After returning to the club in January 2016, de Jong made 15 appearances in the 2015–16 Eerste Divisie for Ajax II . He played mainly in the centre of a three-man midfield and scored two goals. The following year, he received the 2016–17 Eerste Divisie Talent of the Season award for his performances at Ajax II, for whom he made 31 first-team appearances and played as a central and defensive midfielder.
He made his senior debut against Sparta Rotterdam coming on in the 88th minute for Lasse Schöne . In total, he made four senior appearances for Ajax, and scored one goal against Go Ahead Eagles , in the 2016–17 season . He started one game, came off the bench three times, and was an unused substitute in 13 games. He also made his European debut and made four substitutes, and three bench appearances, in the 2016–17 Europa League . He came off the bench in the 82nd minute against Manchester United in the final . It was Ajax’s first European final in 21 years.
By the age of 20, he had made 26 appearances for the first team. He mainly played as a centre-back, in a back four, alongside national team teammate Matthijs de Ligt due to the departure of Davinson Sanchez . He also played in a three-man central midfield. He recorded eight assists in 22 league appearances and picked up two yellow cards. Towards the end of the season, he picked up an injury – tendonitis, a torn syndesmotic ligament, a hairline crack in his calf bone – and missed three months. De Jong made two substitute appearances in qualifying for the 2017–18 Champions League , as Ajax lost on away goals against Nice (3–3) in the third qualifying round .
In the 2018–19 season , he played primarily in the middle of a three-man midfield. De Jong was Eredivisie player of the month for December (2018) and February (2019) – in which he completed 354 of 390 passes and made 53 ball recoveries. Later that month, he received praise from Rafael Van Der Vaart , who said that De Jong was among the best players in Europe with the ball at his feet. It is unclear whether during or before the start of the campaign he rejected an offer from Tottenham Hotspur, saying that “the timing was not right” and wanted to play a full season in his preferred position at Ajax.
De Jong achieved success and widespread recognition during the 2018–19 season and led Ajax to their first domestic double (league and cup) since the 2001–02 season . Ajax have battled PSV Eindhoven all season in the league and have finished the last five weeks at the top of the table . He made 51 appearances in total and starred in Ajax’s first-leg victory (0–1) over Tottenham Hotspur in the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League semi-final at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — in which De Jong had the most appearances. touches from any player on the field (87) and a pass completion rate of 86.2%. It was the first time Ajax had reached the semi-final of the tournament since 1997 . The team eliminated Juventus (3–2 on aggregate ) in the quarter-finals and Real Madrid (5–3 on aggregate). In the second semi-final match, Ajax lost 2–3 at home and were eliminated on away goals by English club Tottenham Hotspur. De Jong was selected in the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League squad of the season and named the tournament’s Midfielder of the Season .
The story of Frenkie de Jong in Barcelona
On January 23, 2019, the La Liga club Barcelona announced the signing of de Jong on a five-year contract, effective from 1 July 2019, for an initial fee of €75 million. De Jong had transfer discussions with Paris Saint-Germain , Manchester City and Manchester United before ultimately opting for Barcelona. He made his competitive debut on 16 August 2019, in a 0–1 opening day defeat to Athletic Bilbao .
He played a crucial role in the 2021 Copa del Rey Final , a 4–0 victory over Athletic Bilbao, scoring in the 63rd minute and assisting two further goals.
Following the departure of club captain Sergio Busquets , de Jong became Barcelona’s fourth captain on 21 July 2023.
The story of Frenkie de Jong’s family
Frenkie de Jong’s parents
Frenkie de Jong was born to his parents John de Jong and Marjon Schuchhard De Bruijn. His mother played football , and his father, John, was also an amateur footballer who competed for ASV Arkel’s first team, according to sources.
Frenkie de Jong’s father
Frenkie de Jong’s father’s name is John de Jong
Frenkie de Jong’s mother
Frenkie de Jong’s mother’s name is Marjon Schuchhard De Bruijn
Frenkie de Jong’s siblings
Youri de Jong is popularly known as the younger brother of Frenkie de Jong, a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for La Liga club Barcelona and the Dutch national team . He is reputed to have excellent vision, passing ability, dribbling technique, good defensive play, and attacking ability.
Frenkie de Jong’s wife
Frenkie is in a relationship with Mikky Kiemeney, who is also a sports enthusiast and hockey player. They met and started dating while he was still playing for Willem II’s youth team. The couple lives together in Amsterdam and is known for sharing moments of complicity and smiles that delight fans.
Frenkie de Jong’s children
Frenkie de Jong has a son with his current wife Mikky Kiemeney
Untold Facts of Frenkie de Jong
- Since he was a child, Frenkie has admired Barcelona and his idols, such as Messi, Xavi and Iniesta. He dreamed of playing alongside Messi and fondly keeps a club uniform that he received as a child.
- His dreams of playing for Barcelona came true, bringing him closer to his idols and cementing his love for the Catalan club.
- Frenkie is a humble player who values his origins. Although he lives in Amsterdam, he often visits his hometown. He is not materialistic, he does not care about expensive clothes or possessions, maintaining a simple lifestyle. However, he can show signs of stubbornness and possessiveness in some situations.
References
“FRENKIE’S STORY”. frenkiedejong.com
“De Jong: Footballer in body and soul”. Official FC Barcelona Website
“Frenkie de Jong Biography”. ESPN
“Frenkie de Jong Facts for Kids”. Kids encyclopedia facts
“Frenkie de Jong – Wikipedia”. Wikipedia
“Frenkie de Jong Midfielder”. Official FC Barcelona Website
“Meet Frenkie de Jong, the footballer playing like no one else”. Financial Times
“Frenkie de Jong – Player Profile – Football”. Eurosport
