De Jong: “I don't want to get used to being a substitute”

Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong is not willing to accept a role on the bench. After the serious knee injury he suffered with the Netherlands at the World Cup and his return to training given by FC Barcelona on October 16, he is back in the squad but now has to fight for a place in the starting XI, as Mundo Deportivo reports from his interview with Ziggo Sport before the Clásico.

“I think I also belong in this team and I feel I can play there,” he said, adding that he sees himself more as a number six or eight than a number ten. Asked whether he could get used to being a substitute, he was clear: “No, and I don't want to get used to that.” He accepts that his return will be gradual and that he won't start matches straight away, but his goal is to get back into the starting XI as soon as possible.

De Jong admits that criticism from fans tends to come when he is not playing, and he understands they see him more with the national team than with his club. His big target remains the Champions League: “It's something I still have to achieve in my career.”