Frenkie de Jong responds to critics: Is he on Declan Rice's level?

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has reacted sharply to the recent criticism directed at him. The Dutch footballer claims that many do not correctly understand his style of play and his role on the pitch. Against the backdrop of these debates, former footballer Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink shared his thoughts on De Jong's current form and his level compared to other stars in an interview with Goal. Goal.com reports that.

According to De Jong, many fans and experts watch football but do not understand its internal mechanisms. The player considers the criticism he faces, especially in his home country, to be exaggerated. "I don't take risks in situations where my passes could reach the goalkeeper, but people don't want to understand that," he says, defending his game.

Comparing Stars: Rice and Vitinha

Currently, among central midfielders in European football, Arsenal's Declan Rice and PSG's Vitinha are rated the highest. In Hasselbaink's opinion, Frenkie de Jong has not yet fully reached this level. He notes that while De Jong has high technical skill with the ball, he struggles slightly in increasing the tempo of the game.

"He is a very high-quality player and an important part of the Netherlands national team. However, personally, I consider him slightly behind the level of Declan Rice. Perhaps it's because I regularly follow the English league, but Rice does more work on the pitch," says Hasselbaink.

According to the expert, for De Jong to take his game to a higher level, he should not hold onto the ball for too long and deliver it to his teammates faster. A combination of creativity like Vitinha and dynamism like Declan Rice could make De Jong the absolute best midfielder in the world.

Nevertheless, Frenkie de Jong's statistics at Barcelona are commendable. During his seven seasons at Camp Nou, he appeared in 297 matches and won La Liga three times. Despite several serious offers from other clubs, specifically Manchester United, he chose to remain loyal to the Catalan club.

De Jong's game has always been interesting for Uzbek football fans as well. How important the Dutch midfielder's role is in Barcelona's changes and the team's new strategy will become clearer in upcoming matches. For now, the player is trying to respond to the critics through his actions on the pitch.