Siem de Jong

Siem Stefan de Jong (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈsim də ˈjɔŋ]; born 28 January 1989) is a Dutch professional footballer who currently plays for Eredivisie club SC Heerenveen as an attacking midfielder or striker.

Playing in the youth academies of De Graafschap and Ajax, he made his professional debut for the Amsterdam-based side and would go on to become the club's captain as they won a club-record four consecutive Eredivisie titles from 2011 to 2014.

Following a three-year spell with Premier League side Newcastle United and a loan spell with PSV Eindhoven, De Jong returned to Ajax in 2017.

His younger brother Luuk de Jong is also a professional football player, currently playing for Barcelona.

Club Career

Early career

De Jong began his football career at the Doetinchem amateur club DZC'68 and was scouted by De Graafschap, when he was 12. He grew up in Doetinchem and graduated from the same school (het Rietveld Lyceum) as Guus Hiddink, Paul Bosvelt and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, which grants him immediate university access (he has considered studying economics). He played with De Graafschap until 2005, when he was picked up by the Ajax youth academy.

Ajax

De Jong made his first team debut coming on as a substitute on 26 September 2007 against Kozakken Boys. His Eredivisie debut was also as a substitute, away at Sparta Rotterdam, where he scored an injury-time equaliser. In 2007–08, he was one of the youngest players and the only player under age 20 to play more than 20 games. On 16 January, just before turning 19, he extended his contract with Ajax to June 2013. He picked up an injury against Willem II, missing two months. This made him miss all the games from 16 March onward, including matches against PSV, Twente and Heerenveen. He recovered from this injury in early April, returning fit for the match against De Graafschap. Although he did not start that game, he was substituted on in the 81st minute for Edgar Davids.

During th

This page also has a version in other languages :  Сим де Йонг (russian)