Top 5 Dutch Footballers of the last decade (2010-2019)

#2 Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)

Frenkie de Jong

Frenkie de Jong is another fantastic midfielder to come out of Ajax in recent times. The Dutchman rose through the ranks at Willem II and even made his debut for Eredivisie for the club as a 17-year-old in the 2014/15 season. In the summer of 2015, de Jong signed for Ajax and was immediately loaned back to his former club for the first half of the season.

After returning to Ajax in January 2016, the Dutchman stayed in the fringes of the first team and mostly appeared for Jong Ajax. De Jong still managed 11 appearances in the first team before the end of the season, scored one goal and looked at ease in the middle of the park. In his first full season, the Dutchman appeared 26 times for the Jews, mostly in the center-back alongside good friend de Ligt. However, it was as a part of a three-man midfield that de Jong turned heads, his calmness and composure helping Ajax dictate terms with ease. The Dutchman managed 8 assists from 22 appearances in the league that season.

De Jong missed 3 months due to injury at the back end of the season but was back to his best in the following term. He was a permanent feature in the Ajax midfield last season and helped his team to the Eredivisie title as well as the KNVB Cup. In January of this year, the Dutchman signed a deal with Barcelona and went on to join the Catalans in the summer. Since then, de Jong has already picked up 24 appearances this season and looks all set to rule the Blaugrana midfield in the coming years.

Playing Style: The Dutchman is a typical Barcelona midfielder who loves to have the ball at his feet. He can play across the midfield and is comfortable even in the defensive role. He has exquisite ball control and a vision and passing ability to match.