Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong commented on the words of former Catalan coach Xavi Hernández, who recently described the Dutchman as an underrated footballer. The midfielder admitted that such an attitude does indeed exist, but stressed that a player’s qualities cannot be measured solely by his goals and assists.
On Monday, Xavi praised his former player after the two met during De Jong’s commitments with the Netherlands national team. A day later, the midfielder was asked to comment on the subject in an interview with ESPN.
„Everyone has their own perspective. There is not just one truth. As a footballer, you are more likely to feel somewhat underrated, and I notice this with some people. Few are the ones who really follow all 90 minutes. Others do not see what is happening on the pitch, why players make certain decisions, which movements are right and which are not,“ the Dutchman said.
De Jong pointed out that players’ performances are most often assessed based on the statistics that are easiest to notice – goals and assists. In his view, however, this does not provide a complete picture of a midfielder’s contribution.
„It is easiest to judge by goals and assists. In my case, however, that is obviously not the strongest part. But if you watch me, you can assess very clearly whether I am a good footballer or not,“ the Barcelona player added.
The Dutchman recently returned to the pitch after an injury that forced him to miss the start of the season with the Catalan giants. He is expected to wear the Netherlands national team shirt again on Friday, and could make his first appearance for the senior side since the World Cup in the match against Greece.