These are no ordinary days for Frenkie de Jong. After returning from injury, the Dutchman has begun to rack up appearances, and his latest, against Celta, has made him the Netherlands national with the most matches in Barça history. The day after reaching that milestone, he sat down at the Estadi Johan Cruyff to answer questions from members of the club’s YouTube channel.

Dream fulfilled

Footballing and more personal questions came his way, and naturally, the recent record (surpassing Phillip Cocu) was a key topic. “It means a lot to me2 he said. "I always dreamed of playing here. Barça and the Netherlands have a special connection, and being the Dutch player with the most appearances makes me feel special. Also, receiving the shirt from Cocu was an honour."

He also reflected on Johan Cruyff, who “means a lot to all Dutch people”. He recalled that his father was a big fan of the legend and that as a child he watched a lot of videos of him.

De Jong added that he felt a strong connection with Barça from a young age, and appreciates the support of former players such as Marc Overmars, Patrick Kluivert and Ronald Koeman: “You feel that connection from having been at the same club.”

Liga title?

As for the team, he believes that “we’ve been fighting all season to win La Liga, and now we’re in the final stretch. We’re very focused on winning every game and being able to celebrate the title together. We’re really looking forward to it.”

On a personal level, the midfielder said his favourite moments as a culer are winning trophies, but that he enjoys “every day of being a Barça player. It’s a very special feeling.”

He named his most underrated former teammate as Jordi Alba, the funniest as Gavi, and his toughest opponent as Luka Modrić.

Growing up, his idols were “Lionel Messi, number one, but I also loved Andrés Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, Xavi Hernández, Dennis Bergkamp and Robin van Persie.”

As for Barcelona he especially loves the weather and the culture, and despite missing family and friends, he loves living in the city.

Personal questions

He also spoke about the reason behind wearing the number 21. It his late grandfather’s birth date, and one of the available squad numbers when he broke into the Ajax first team. And he admitted that when he gets the chance, “a good pizza, and especially ice cream,” is a treat he can’t resist.

All sides of Frenkie de Jong on display, thanks to questions from the culers.

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