As a well-known villain in world football, Nigel de Jong has left many unforgettable moments for fans. So why is he called a "lawn mower"? What does it feel like to be at the time of City's change of old and new? What did he say to Alonso after the 2010 World Cup final? "442" interview with De Jong answered the fans one by one...
Here's what the interview was all about (Q: for question, A: for answer):
Q: There aren't a lot of players named Nigel, let alone a Dutch player, what's the origin of your name?
A: It was actually my mother's choice. At that time, there was a famous violinist named Nigel Kennedy, and when I was born, there was a racing driver, Nigel Mansell, who was very famous, so she gave me this name. It's a British name, so it's prophetic.
Q: Your father Jerry was able to play three games for the Dutch national team, can you remember watching him play?
A: As a child I wanted to be a player, that was my father's job, so I loved watching him play. My father and mother divorced at a very young age, but I saw a lot of the games he played on TV. Seeing him on the pitch gave me the urge to play in front of 50,000 fans, and his advice on my game was always constructive, but my mother was more harsh on me.
Q: Growing up in Amsterdam West, was life there very difficult?
A: Yes, it is true, but luckily I have a mother who pushed me to do well in school. My friends and I play every day, remember, it was a pre-social media era where we had nothing to do but hone our skills on the streets. A group of us bounced around in front of the neighbors and were very happy every day. I had some friends who chose to make money in other ways, but we didn't get involved and my mother was very strict with me.
Q: Growing up, who did you like to watch?
A: I love Redondo, he's always been one of my favorite players. Romario is another player I really like because he played with my father in Eindhoven and I've seen him on the training ground and in the dressing room. For me, he's more than just a player, his personality is also very attractive. I love his ability to create opportunities on his own. Vieira is now a good friend of mine, he's a role model for me, and I'm a big fan of Roy Keane.
I love Keane's big heart, he's always fearless. Even though he didn't have the size of Duncan Ferguson, he was. When I was a kid, I used to watch Premier League games and Keane's eyes always told you he had everything he could on the pitch. It's like saying, "Man, it's impossible for you to make a difference today, it's my turf." "People forget that he's a great player, he's able to score powerful goals, he's an all-round midfielder and he's a good passer. If I play against him on the pitch, he will also stand out on the pitch.
Q: I heard you have a bachelor's degree in economics, is that true?
A: Yes, I studied in Amsterdam and graduated in 2001, and learning about finance is really, very important for me. You can see that a lot of athletes don't have any concept of their money, and a top athlete shouldn't be bankrupt, but I see things like that happen from time to time. I want to protect myself financially by earning a degree so that I can know how to invest wisely and continue to live a good life after my football career.
You need to have some people around you who have good financial knowledge, but you should at least have the basic knowledge of this. You can have £10 million in a bank account, but if you don't know where the money went and how it was spent, you'd be doomed to bankruptcy.
Q: When you were younger, we were delighted that you were in the midfield of the Dutch national team with Van Bommel. Do you think roles like the midfield spoiler are now gone?
A: Roles like this are definitely going to disappear, and I think that's because football games are getting more and more controlled. In each game, we will have 300 cameras, a referee and a video assistant referee. To be a very tough player, sometimes you have to do something that people can't see, but it's hard for you to escape the camera right now. There is now more emphasis on technical football and attacking football, so there are fewer and fewer tough midfielders.
It's a pity because I love the kind of battles on the pitch that Manchester United and Arsenal used to have, and the showdown between Real Madrid and Atletico. Now, you don't see the battle between Simone and Redondo or Vieira and Keane. I wish I would be on the pitch they were then. For me, such a fight is more exciting than the goals of Dwight York and Andy Cole, but now such a scene is disappearing.
Q: Your nickname is "Lawn Mower", where did this nickname come from? Do you mow the grass yourself too often?
A: The nickname comes from when I was at Manchester City, I would cover every inch of turf on the pitch and keep tackling, so the fans called me a "lawn mower". I really like the nickname, though, and of all the teams I've played for, The Manchester City fans are one of the best fan groups. In the past, I sometimes built my own garden myself. Most of the time, I'll leave it to someone else to do it. However, when the grass grows very tall and needs to be cut off urgently, I will use the lawn mower to do it myself.
Q: When you were at Ajax, you played with Van der Vaart, Sneijder and Ibrahimovic, and it must have been a very special day...
A: It was an incredible time. Ajax's squad at the time combined talent and experience well, and at that time, the team was still competitive in the Champions League. We were always able to get into the group stage and qualify. It attracted a lot of young talents from different countries and eventually made the squad we had. Of my teammates, 80% of the players end up playing for the top clubs in Europe.
Q: What is it like to train together every day at Ajax and Ibrahimovic? Is he really always so egotistical?
A: Ibrahimovic is an amazing guy who likes to make jokes with the people around him. He's not arrogant or arrogant, but he's very confident in himself. We were really good friends when I was in Ajax and I would go to his house for dinner and so on. I haven't seen Ibrahimovic in some days, but it makes me happy to see him go on to have a successful career.
Q: A Dutch journalist once called you a "right-footed Edgar Davis", what do you think are the similarities between you and him?
A: Davis is my idol, but he's more of an all-round midfielder. We do have a lot of similarities in terms of our overall mentality, position and experience at Ajax, but he's more offensive and technically capable than I am. I don't want him to feel like he's not being respected, he's not just a defensive midfielder, he's not only able to score goals but he's able to create a lot of chances.
Q: When City brought you in in 2009, did you have any other options? What was it like to play under Mark Hughes?
A: I'm very grateful to Mark Hughes for the opportunity we have, we have a very good relationship, even now. He has a tough personality and is a winner, which is reflected in the way he trains. Our training is always intense and full of confrontation.
When I signed for Manchester City, they seemed to be 11th or 12th in the Premier League, and there were other big clubs that invited me to join, but Manchester City painted a great picture for me for the future. They said I was just the club's first major signing and I just had to be patient. I believed in them, and it was also the opportunity for me to watch the league from a young age. I like to be seen as weak, people only know Manchester United and we want to change that.
Q: What do you think of the city of Manchester? Do you like living in the city?
A: It rains about 11 months a year in Manchester, so I would never say the city is one of my top holiday destinations. But, apart from that, the city has a great vibe. I had some of the best times of my career at Manchester City. Manchester isn't as big as London, but you still have a lot to do there. The city is always bustling in the summer and I would head to a bar to get some barbecue. I have a high opinion of Manchester, but due to bad weather, I will not live there after my career.
Q: When Mancini replaced Mark Hughes, how much did the team's culture change?
A: Mancini is an Italian, so it's not surprising that he's tactically brilliant. He and Mark Hughes have a different philosophy, and he puts more emphasis on the team's defense. First, he wants you to solidify your defense and then think about the next step. Whether it's a team or an individual, we've undergone a major shift under him. Both Mancini and Hughes have changed Manchester City to some extent. Under Mancini, we won almost all the trophies, so it was an incredible experience and he deserves a lot of praise.
Q: Do you really believe that you can turn things around against QPR and win the league title?
A: Against a team fighting for relegation, we first took a 1-0 lead, but for some reason, they staged a Jedi counterattack to give themselves a 2-1 lead. We looked at each other and thought, "That's impossible, isn't it?" "At first you would have such negative thoughts, but we refused to give up. Mancini made some changes in attack, with Dzeko and Balotelli both on the pitch, so we had three goalscorers on the pitch.
Thankfully, everything worked. That game ended in a crazy way, and you might never see that again. When Aguero scored, from a happy and relieved point of view, it was the best moment of my career. This explains all that football has to offer, passion, emotion and victory. I remember when Aguero took off his shirt and ran to the corner to celebrate, many of the older fans in the stands burst into tears. Everyone couldn't believe what had just happened. I'm glad I'm part of it.
Q: People always talk about how tough you are, do you think your technical abilities are underestimated?
A: If you're a defensive midfielder, that's normal. I like to be in a position like this because I know how much of an impact I can make. People never talk about Roy Keane's technical abilities, they just talk about his body's contribution in midfield.
What people forget is that to play in a position like mine, you need to use your technical ability to guide the team. You're in front of the defensive line to deliver the ball to the attacking three zones, so you're in the middle of those two lines and you're a key part of the team. In every club, my pass success rate is good because I like to make the ball work well. When I was playing at Ajax, I was taught to play the right way.
Q: Both Stuart Holden and Ben Alpha have been badly injured for your tackles, are you trying to hurt them?
A: No, I never wanted to intentionally hurt anyone. In 50% vs 50%, I always try to get the ball, but I never want to hurt anyone. Those were just unlucky tackles and unfortunately they needed to go for a period of time in their careers for rehabilitation, which made me feel bad. However, football is a sport about physical contact, and sometimes you hurt someone else, sometimes you yourself. In 50% vs. 50%, I'm always going to be tougher than others because I don't want to hurt myself. I've had conversations with Holden and Ben Alpha since then, and after a while, I've gotten in touch with them and talked about what happened. Now that everything is fine, such a thing is over.
Q: You've faced a lot of great players and teams in your career, but how hard was it to stop Spain's pass at the 2010 World Cup?
A: It's really difficult, even though I can see the momentum they want to pass, they still pass with their own speed and confidence, which makes me powerless. We kept our formations tight, trying to get them to organise the attack from the back and since they were in the formation, we felt we had a good chance of winning by counter-attacking. We executed our tactics well and Robben had a really good chance in the second half, but in the end it didn't come to an end. But Spain has an incredible team, with Xavi, Iniesta, Alonso and many other players going through the peak of their careers.
Q: How disappointed were you when you played so well but conceded the ball towards the end of extra time?
A: It's frustrating. In the 100th minute of the game, I was substituted because we had already started preparing for a penalty shootout. However, Iniesta scored in the 116th minute of the game and we had little time to respond. We all had to pass by the trophy back to the dressing room and I could see the huge disappointment on everyone's face.
It's very disappointing because as a footballer, it's the biggest stage you can be on and the only chance you have to win the title once in your life, and if you're lucky enough, you might get two chances to do that. Despite the disappointment with the outcome, there is nothing more proud of what we achieved at the 2010 World Cup.
Q: Does it disappoint you that people are still talking about your "heart-piercing" performance towards Alonso instead of your performance on the field?
A: No, I wasn't disappointed. You have to understand that this is one of the things that happened on the World Cup stage, and people all over the world saw that action. This thing won't bother me. This has been turned over here by me, and this is football. Luckily, I was able to play the rest of the game. I just want to stay on the pitch and play, that's the only thing I focus on.
I didn't see Alonso coming, he was in the blind spot of my sight. I didn't think I was going to be sent off because I thought it was just an unfortunate event. I was very lucky that a guy named Howard Webb blew that game because he'd seen a lot of fouls worse than that in the past. I think he'd think I was innocent because I raised my hand immediately afterwards.
Q: Have you seen Alonso again after the final? Have you ever talked about it? Is this already water-covered and difficult to harvest?
A: We've met since then, but we never talk about that moment, it's just part of football's history. In the end, he won the World Cup, and that thing didn't end in a negative way. We're in a sport with a lot of physical contact, and sometimes a small foul gets a red card. That happened on the stage of the World Cup, so it attracted a lot of attention. Maybe one day we'll have a beer after we meet and laugh it off. In the end, he won the game and I didn't, and I think he laughed to the end.
Q: What has gone wrong with the Dutch national team in recent years?
A: I think it's a little too fast to get the older generation of players to leave. After the 2014 World Cup, our generation of players was rarely really considered by the national team, and I think our experience can help the young players. The transition time for the national team is a bit too fast, a team of young players, they don't have much experience, you can't expect them to play steadily. Every country has gone through a process of reconstruction, and the same thing happened to Belgium and France. They missed some big games and came back stronger and we did the same thing.
Q: In the 2015 game against Bayern, Guardiola was very angry because you shoveled Kimmich, and he questioned you in person. What did he say to you at the time?
A: Guardiola is just defending his own players, it's a pure emotion. As a manager, he has the right to express his feelings to all players. He has the right to express his feelings, and so do I, we are all men and not children. We all have our own feelings and want to protect ourselves. If he really wants to say something to me, that's fine. However, the scene was really chaotic.
Q: What was it like to play for the LA Galaxy in 2016? How far behind is Major League compared to the rest of the world?
A: The Major Leagues don't have a relegation system, so there's no real pressure, and for that reason, you don't really feel like you're losing or winning. You may lose the game, but you know there will always be a next time, and you know that next season you will still be there and it won't have any impact. So, that's why the level there is the same every year. Football is not the biggest sport in the United States, so there aren't a lot of young talented players popping up there, unlike in Europe.
Bringing in more foreign players is of little use, and the U.S. needs to focus on getting young players to progress and getting more kids to learn about football.
Q: Is it true that you opened a car sales shop in Hamburg? Have any celebrities ever bought a car at your place?
A: I love cars very much because my grandfather was Ford's general manager in the Netherlands and every six months he gets a new car, which catches my attention. If there is enough money, I have always planned to do this. When I came to Germany, where I lived there were many car manufacturers, I decided to start my own business there. I also met my partner at that time, and after 11 years, both the business and our relationship are very strong. We were very popular with the players and over the years Van Persie, Sneijder and Kevin Boateng bought cars from me.
(Two monsters)