The Kitchen Champion Division has been a breeding ground for domestic and foreign talents for decades and this season again many football players with potential are walking around at the second level. Football zone, the official media partner of the Kitchen Champion Division, highlights one of these talents every week, with this time focusing on Fedde de Jong, who, as a promising midfielder, makes the necessary flying hours with AZ’s U21 team and is aiming for a breakthrough in the first team .
By Jordi Tomasowa
With the sale of Teun Koopmeiners, Calvin Stengs, Myron Boadu and Owen Wijndal, AZ has confirmed its reputation in recent years as an organization with one of the best youth academies in Europe. The next talented class is now ready. Milos Kerkez, Myron van Brederode and Maxim Dekker and most recently Wouter Goes all seized their chance this season. Someone who hopes to add to this list in the short term is De Jong. At the age of four he took his first steps with the gnomes of FC Uitgeest.
De Jong as captain of AZ’s reserves team in action against Telstar.
“I played there until the Under 13 and from the Under 14 I came to play in the AZ youth academy,” he says. “I participated in the selection days of the AZ Football School. I fell off in the last round. After that I played with Uitgeest again at a youth tournament in a final against AZ. I scored three goals and we eventually won the tournament, after which I was again asked to do an internship. This time I did get through and so I made the switch to AZ.”
De Jong quickly made a big impression on the AZ youth complex in Wijdewormer, so much that he signed his first professional contract in 2019. “That was a very special moment. The fact that you can sign your first professional contract at the age of sixteen is great, also for my family. I wanted to draw on my birthday.” A year and a half later, his debut in professional football followed with a substitution on behalf of Jong AZ against Telstar. “At the beginning it was really hard. Football is played very differently than in youth. It’s more mature football and you get to play a lot more in the duels.”
“I’ve been playing at Jong AZ for almost three years now, so I’m used to it by now,” continues the midfielder. “By playing a lot of matches, it is of course easier to keep up with the level. I’ve been training with the first team for over a year and a half now, so you automatically learn certain things. You gain new experience every game.” De Jong has now already played 69 matches for AZ’s U21 team. It is only logical for him that he takes on a pioneering role. “Our trainer Maarten Martens likes shared responsibility. We had three captains last season, but two of them got injured. As a result, I was the sole captain for five games in a row.”
Partly due to the many injuries in the first team, De Jong has not played any more minutes at Jong AZ in recent matches. “Unfortunately I don’t always play along anymore, because I’m also on the bench with the first team. But if I have to participate in the U23 team, I like to take responsibility. I think I can take on that role quite well. I was also captain quite often in the youth, so it is nice that the trainer places a bit of responsibility with me.”
De Jong has played 21 youth international matches for the the Dutch so far.
At the beginning of this season, De Jong made his debut in the first team under Pascal Jansen. As a debutant, he scored AZ’s fourth goal in the third preliminary round of the Conference League on a visit to Bosnian Tuzla City. “You can certainly speak of a dream debut,” he says with a smile. “I had to wait a long time and work hard for that. It was extra nice that I could also reward myself with a goal. I only thought it was a bit of a shame that I made my debut in an away match and not at home with all the supporters. Of course I can’t complain.”
De Jong’s patience was then put to the test. He was often on the bench, but he did not make more minutes in the first team until recently. “Of course it is a bit difficult mentally if you don’t play, because you want to take steps and make more minutes in the Eredivisie. I’ll have to wait a while for that. I am now a bit at an age where I skipper between Young AZ and the first. I have to make my flying hours with the U23 team, but that is also completely fine.”
Earlier this month, De Jong was rewarded for the long wait, when Jansen brought him in the line fifteen minutes before the end during the big Eredivisie victory over Excelsior Rotterdam (5-0). “I am happy that I was able to make my first minutes in the Eredivisie and now hope for more. It’s always fun to play in front of your own supporters. That makes it a special moment. I hope I get to experience more moments like this. We have a lot of injuries at the moment, so if the trainer calls on me, I’m ready.”
The Alkmaarders are currently involved in an exciting title battle with Feyenoord, Ajax and PSV. However, the championship is not a major theme within the AZ selection, De Jong says. “We live more from match to match. It remains to be seen where we end up. Finishing in the top 4 remains our goal. We are competing for the national title together with those other teams, but we still have a long way to go. Of course it would be nice. It is one of the craziest Eredivisie seasons in recent years, who knows what it will bring.”
“Certainly I hope for a call-up one day, the Dutch Juniors or Young Spain must then appear”
At the beginning of October, Voetbalzone also spoke extensively with Young AZ goalkeeper Sem Westerveld in the context of the Talentscout section.
De Jong describes himself as a modern number 10 and someone with a lot of running ability and depth in his game. “I always try to be important with goals and assists. I always love watching Kevin De Bruyne. He is one of the best midfielders at the moment and really my role model.” De Jong played in youth together with guys like Kian Fitz-Jim and Van Brederode and is proud of the fact that they are also making more and more minutes in the Eredivisie. “It pleases me that those guys can now do their thing in the first team at Ajax and AZ. I also became champion in the Under 15 together with them.”
De Jong now also has 21 youth international matches for the the Dutch to his name. “It is always nice that I have been able to play for various youth teams of the Dutch national team throughout my childhood. I think that’s a dream for everyone. I have experienced many beautiful journeys. For example, we went to the United States and played tournaments against other major countries. I also gained a lot of experience from that. Hopefully I can also get the Juniors and the big the Dutch, that is my big dream.”
With Jong AZ he wants to achieve the highest final position ever this season. “We have never finished in the top ten of the Kitchen Champion Division,” says De Jong. “We want to score high and are currently in a good seventh place. I myself want to be important with goals and assists and of course I also hope to make more flying hours in the Eredivisie, because my substitute against Excelsior certainly tastes like more.”
Passport
Name: Fred de Jong
Age: 19
Position: attacking midfielder
Length: 185 cm
Matches: 69
Strengths: technique, passing and leadership
Football zone is the official media partner of the Kitchen Champion Division
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