Frenkie de Jong returned to wear the Netherlands shirt after 433 days of absence in the 'Oranje' thrashing of Hungary (4-0). The midfielder acted as the conductor of his team and left a good impression on the pitch before being substituted in the 68th minute, leaving the field to the applause of his fans.
At the end of the match, the FC Barcelona player spoke to the media and expressed his joy at returning to the team led by Ronald Koeman. "I haven't played for a while, I'm happy to be back," said the footballer, who despite showing a good performance, surprised everyone with his statements about his fitness after overcoming a complicated ankle injury that kept him out for five months.
De Jong admitted that he is not going through his best moment
And Frenkie admitted that he still has "moments of sensitivity" when playing and that he needs "matches and rhythm" to gain confidence. "I'm not saying it's a risk, but the feeling is not the same as before. I should improve from now on," confessed the player, who continues to work on recovering his best version both with the national team and at Barça, where he has the undisputed confidence of Hansi Flick.
De Jong also revealed that he will not be a starter in the Netherlands' next match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. "I will stay with the national team, but I will not start the next game," said the midfielder, who chooses to remain cautious with his fitness after suffering a new scare in the match before the break against Real Sociedad, although fortunately it came to nothing.