From captain of Ajax to booed by their rivals – De Jong’s career has hardly gone to plan.
It hasn’t been an easy couple of years for Siem De Jong. Not so long ago, he was the inspirational captain of a great, modern day Ajax side, lifting four consecutive Eredivisie titles and making his name in an international team desperately searching for a long term replacement for the ageing Wesley Sneijder.
A move to Newcastle United in the summer of 2014, meanwhile, was supposed to give De Jong greater exposure and a larger platform, one which allow him to prove that his virtuoso performances against Manchester City in the Champions League two seasons prior were no fluke. His three goals in two games against Roberto Mancini’s side put City out in the Group Stage and confirmed De Jong as one of Europe’s brightest midfield talents.
And then it all went wrong. Injury after injury ruined his career at St James’, from a calf problem that kept him out for four months to a collapsed lung. Earlier this year, he almost lost his sight after a freak training ground accident. Luck certainly wasn’t on Siem’s side.
Neither were the fans at his temporary employers, Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven. Joining forces with his brother Luuk, a talented all-round centre-forward criminally misused by Alan Pardew on Tyneside, the De Jong brothers were tipped to storm to the title this season.
However, targetman Luuk has endured a rare dry spell after successive goal-laden seasons while Siem, riddled once more with calf problems, struggled for minutes.
Yet, just when things looked like they couldn’t get any worse, they got a little bit better. Entering the pitch to a chorus of boos, he is a former Ajax skipper after all, De Jong transformed the jeers into cheers as he finally opened his account for PSV, sweeping home a clinical winner against Go Ahead Eagles. His first goal, by the way, since a League Cup strike against Northampton Town in August 2015.
After the game, he confirmed his intention to return to Newcastle at the end of the season. At long last, there’s a glimmer of light at the end of this winding tunnel.
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