LWook Dae Yong laughs loudly. The PSV striker has been ranked 75th in the Daily Mail’s top 100 Premier League strikers. His six-month loan spell at Newcastle 10 years ago was long forgotten, but clearly that wasn’t the case. He will soon be forgotten by everyone.
When a countdown of his “biggest failures” from 2017 caught his attention, de Jong said: When you only played 12 games and not all to begin with? And not even in my position? Ah, that’s the world of football, isn’t it? I was young. I think he is now well equipped to play against Premier League defenders. Your response to adversity matters. That’s what makes the difference. ”
De Jong has come a long way since his stop at St James’ Park. He is part of the PSV squad that will go into Tuesday’s Champions League last-16 first leg at home to Borussia Dortmund believing they can pull off an upset. It’s been a great season for the Dutch club. They won their first 17 league games and have moved to the top of the Eredivisie, but finished below Arsenal in the Champions League, in the same group as Sevilla and Reims. This is due in no small part to de Jong’s influence.
According to former Netherlands international playmaker Rafael van der Vaart, the 33-year-old is Europe’s most aggressive ball-header, and Opta’s stats back that up. De Jong has scored 77 league goals with his head, more than any other player in Europe’s top six leagues over the same period. Of his 27 goals this season (including six penalties), 13 have come from headers.
De Jong’s parents were volleyball players for the Dutch national team, and from an early age, she often played in the garden or on the beach during summer vacation. It helped him head the football. “I think a sense of timing is also in my genes,” he says. “But the process of arriving at a header, choosing position, creating space for yourself, practicing patterns with teammates and anticipating where and when the cross will come is something I have learned and gotten better at. It’s something.”
PSV’s captain is also known for his mental strength. He has often been let go, especially after his stay at Newcastle and his time at Borussia Mönchengladbach (2012-2014). He bounced back at PSV (2014-19) and made a big impression at Sevilla (2019-21), leading them to the Europa League title in 2020, before going on loan to Barcelona before returning to PSV in 2022. I gave up. I have always worked hard and I believe that I am the best version of myself. ”
De Jong never expected he and PSV to reach such heights. He speaks at the club’s De Geldgang training facility, located in a forest not far from the center of Eindhoven, and relaxes with an espresso in the cozy dining room. The walls are decorated with simply framed photos of former players and coaches such as Romario. Ronaldo, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Mark van Bommel, Guus Hiddink and Sir Bobby Robson. Photos show them joking with each other and the cafeteria staff at De Herdgang.
This kind of simplicity and warmth is PSV’s strength. Players such as Irving Lozano, Gjerdi Schouten and Noah Lang could have joined top clubs in Serie A, but instead chose PSV. “PSV are always playing for prizes,” says de Jong. “It’s all about performance. It’s very modern and innovative here.” There’s also less panic here compared to other top clubs. There is always a lot of confidence in the process, and in between the hard work there are laughs. ”
The “unreal” record of 17 consecutive Eredivisie wins was achieved under manager Peter Bosz, who led Ajax to the 2017 Europa League final. The boss aims to play as aggressively as possible and corner his opponent with a high press. De Jong is enjoying Bozbor’s energy. “I like to work hard, run a lot and grab the opponent’s neck. The coach has a lot of experience and thinks through every situation perfectly. God gives us confidence . He always drinks coffee with everyone.”
In Dortmund’s draw, Bausch will face the club he coached in 2017. “We’re really excited and proud to be back in an elite team,” says De Jong, who says PSV learned a lot from the 4-0 defeat against Arsenal in September. I believe. “It was in the box in the final phase that made the difference. They managed to get a lot of people into their box and ours every time. I think we’ve gone even further now. In football it’s all about That could change quickly.”
De Jong knows this better than anyone. Almost exactly 10 years ago, on February 23, 2014, he featured in Newcastle’s home game against Aston Villa. “His last shot hit the post, and he was sent off without a goal.” “I had to replace midfielder Yohan Cabaye, who went to PSG,” he said. Talk about transfer. “I usually played behind the striker, but it wasn’t my favorite position. We often ended up being pushed back quite far. We barely got to the goal. It wasn’t my favorite position beforehand. I knew it, but when you get the chance to play in the Premier League for such a beautiful, big club, you can’t say no. I wanted to show you more. ”
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After a difficult period, he has developed an “incredible respect” for Harry Maguire. “He’s a great role model for everyone. Even when he’s beaten down so hard by the critics, he always keeps going and always bounces back. 99 out of 100 players would be better off with that much criticism. won’t be able to stand up.”
In the 2018 Champions League with PSV, De Jong proved he can score against the Premier League’s top sides, both at home and away against Tottenham. Two years later, with Sevilla, he scored the winning goal in the Europa League semi-final against Manchester United and scored twice in the final against Internazionale. “It remains the highlight of my career,” he says.
At Barcelona, De Jong again succeeded Lionel Messi, a player who moved to PSG. “It was very strange. Of course I wasn’t brought in as his direct replacement. Nobody can replace that guy. I came there as a target man. But I… I actually sat in his spot in the dressing room. It was nice.”
The coach who signed him, Ronald Koeman, was immediately fired. Xavi Hernandez informed De Jong that he could leave in January, but De Jong chose to stay. “Then I scored some important goals, most of them headers. At one point they sang my name at every corner and free-kick at Camp Nou. More than that. You don’t think it’s going to get any better. I’m very proud of that.”
De Jong is good at defending himself from criticism. One of the things he has in mind off the pitch is the sustainable clothing brand 2050, which he launched with his brother Siem, a former Ajax and Newcastle player. “According to the EU, 2050 is the year the world must become climate neutral.” We are trying to produce in a way.
“Everyone knows that the planet is warming too fast. Having children makes you even more so. As a wealthy person, you are one of the major polluters. It’s good to try to turn things around.”
