World Cup: Netherland’s midfielder has Filipino blood

By: Celest Flores-Colina - 10 years ago

In this June 10, photo, Jonathan de Guzman of the Netherlands is seen during a training session in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Jonathan de Guzman appears to have fully recovered from a hamstring strain and to be fit enough to play in the Netherlands’ crucial Group B opener against defending champion Spain of Friday. AP

MANILA, Philippines — Jonathan De Guzman, Netherland’s midfielder, is of Filipino descent.

De Guzman, who made a start for Netherlands against Australia and Spain in the World Cup group stages, is actually born to a Jamaican mother, Pauline, and a Filipino father, Bobby.

In a story on telegraph.co.uk, it was Bobby, who migrated to Canada from the Philippines as a child, who really pushed Jonathan to chase for his dreams even at a young age.

“My dad really pushed us,” Jonathan said of his father who worked as an IT manager in Ontario. “If he hadn’t pushed us to make the most of our talent, I don’t think I would have got this far.”

Jonathan, the youngest of three, flew to then Netherlands at the age of 12 to join the Feyenoord youth academy.

“It was scary,” he says of the move to Europe. “But when everything got settled down, it went by very fast. My dad told me I was going to sit by the window and cry, and I would want to come home. But I can’t remember a day that I was sitting by the window. I always enjoyed myself.”

But that courageous trip to another continent proved to be a life-changing decision as Jonathan eventually acquired a Dutch citizenship in 2008 and got the international call-up for the Beijing Olympics.

Jonathan, who has played for Oranje’s under-21 and under-23 teams, was in the radar of the Philippine national team but has never been reported to have had interest in playing for the Azkals.

Netherlands, which narrowly escaped Australia, 3-2, Wednesday night (Manila time) is atop group B in the World Cup with six points.