De Jong is addicted to the popular game Angry Birds and plays it in the dressing room before games.
He said:
“I listen to my iPod 15 minutes before the match and play Angry Birds on my phone.
“I’m always relaxing and people scream at me to hurry up because we’ve got to go out for the game. But I keep playing Angry Birds. It’s so addictive.”
Nigel de Jong is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Italian Serie A club Milan and the Netherlands national football team.
Born: November 30, 1984 (age 27), Amsterdam
Height: 1.74 m
Weight: 70 kg
Spouse: Winona de Jong
Parents: Jerry de Jong, Marja de Jong
Children: Kyan de Jong, Isaura-Siënna de Jong
De Jong moved on from Ajax in 2006 to join Hamburg in search of first team football and then moved to Manchester City in January 2009 for an estimated £18 million,where he became an important part of City's holding midfield. A tireless grafter, he has garnered a reputation of being a combative and feisty player in his performances, a reputation that has earned him nicknames such as "The Terrier" and "Lawnmower"
Ajax
On 19 October 2002, De Jong made his debut for the Ajax first team. He scored his first goal of his senior career on 18 February 2003 in a 1–1 draw against Arsenal in the Champions League. He became a first team regular the following season, in which Ajax won the Eredivisie title.In 2004–05, his last full season in Amsterdam, De Jong was named Ajax Player of the Season.After a period when he appeared regularly in midfield and defence, he found himself sitting on the bench more often than being in the starting line-up. On 7 December 2005, it was announced that De Jong did not wish to extend his contract with Ajax, which was due to end in July 2006.
Hamburg
On 26 January 2006, De Jong signed a four and a half year contract at German Bundesliga club Hamburg, the transfer fee approximately €1 million.At Hamburg he joined two other Dutchmen: Rafael van der Vaart and Khalid Boulahrouz. He made his Hamburg debut two days later in a 2–1 defeat at Nuremberg. In March 2006 De Jong scored the winning goal in Bayern Munich's first ever defeat at the Allianz Arena.The following week he received the first red card of his career for a second booking in a UEFA Cup match against Rapid Bucharest.His season was cut short in April, when he required surgery on a knee problem.The injury also kept him out of the Dutch squad for the 2006 World Cup, though he was later put on standby after regaining fitness.Manchester City
Man City
On 21 January 2009, De Jong was signed to Manchester City for an estimated fee of £18 million by manager Mark Hughes who deployed him in the role of midfield enforcer in a team whose defence badly needed reinforcement. He signed a four-and-a-half year contract.and was assigned the number 34 shirt. He made his debut for the club against Newcastle United on 28 January 2009.He made sixteen appearances in the Premier League over the second half of the season.
De Jong was given a start against Arsenal on 12 September 2009.He was named Man of the Match by Sky Sports in a 2–1 win over Chelsea on 5 December 2009.By the end of the season he had become a firm fans' favourite as well as being one of new manager Roberto Mancini's first picks as defensive midfielder as the team narrowly missed out on a Champions League berth. De Jong scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 2–1 victory against West Ham United on 1 May 2011.
De Jong was part of the Dutch team for the 2010 FIFA World Cup managed by Bert van Marwijk. The player was in the starting line-up for their first match in the competition, a 2–0 victory over Denmark. He was suspended in the semi final against Uruguay after receiving his second yellow card of the tournament in the Netherlands' quarter-final win over Brazil.. He played in the Final of the competition which the Netherlands lost 1–0 to Spain after extra time.
