"Everyone knows I'm a midfielder": De Jong sends a decisive message to Flick

Refusing to sacrifice his position

Frenkie de Jong has ended the debate over his new position in no uncertain terms. "Everyone knows I'm a midfielder," the Dutchman declared, rejecting any long-term switch to defence even as he admitted he'll sacrifice himself for the team when needed.

Hansi Flick has thrown De Jong into unfamiliar defensive roles at Barcelona, using him at centre-back and right-back as a tactical fix to cover absences and injuries in his squad.

The 29-year-old was superb in Barcelona's 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid at Wembley before linking up with the Netherlands for their UEFA Nations League matches.

De Jong arrived at the training camp and sat down with ESPN to discuss the two games to come, against Greece next Friday and Germany the following Monday. He confirmed his recovery from injury and insisted his defensive duties are only temporary.

Could he play as a full-back or centre-back in the long term? He ruled it out flatly. "If the coach asks me to play in defence, I will, but that won't be the case in the long term. Everyone knows I'm a midfielder."

Dropping into a deeper role is nothing new for him, either. Several prominent coaches have asked him to play as a centre-back at Ajax and Barcelona.

De Jong said: "Other coaches have done it. At Ajax, and sometimes at Barcelona too, with Koeman at one point, and with Xavi several times."

Doubts over his fitness drew a clear response. "I feel good and strong, I just need to regain my match rhythm," Frenkie said.

Asked whether he's ready for the full ninety minutes, he kept it short. "We'll see. I feel good."

Why do fellow players rate him when the public don't? De Jong has a theory. "People don't watch matches regularly. Few are those who follow the full ninety minutes. They don't really understand the game, and they don't realise what is happening on the pitch, or why decisions are made," he told ESPN.

Goals and assists, he reckons, get in the way of judging his level. "The easiest way to assess a player is, of course, to look at whether he scores or assists. As for me, these numbers are much lower, of course."

With Virgil van Dijk absent, De Jong signalled he's ready to take the armband. "The coach has to announce that, but it's possible," he explained.

The final call, he admitted, rests with national team coach Xavi Hernandez.