I won the league with Man City - now I sell supercars after quitting football

26 November 2023 , 07:30

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Nigel de Jong has played in a World Cup final and won league titles in two countries, but at 38 he is well into his new post-football career.

The Dutch international was part of the Oranje side beaten by Spain in 2010, while also playing for Louis van Gaal's Netherlands as they reached the World Cup semis in 2014. In between those runs, he helped Manchester City win their first league title of the Premier League era under Roberto Mancini.

De Jong confirmed his retirement in 2021, having also enjoyed spells in several other countries including Italy and Germany. He began working with the Dutch FA in 2023, but also has a long-standing side gig selling luxury cars... with ex-footballers among his clients.

De Jong set up Continental Cars in 2007, and spoke about his side project when he was still playing. In a 2018 interview with Joe, he explained cars ran in his family, with his grandfather having served as a CEO of Ford in Holland.

"I looked up to him, and off the pitch, I wanted to be like him," the ex-midfielder said. "I also think his professionalism is something I carried with me as a footballer too.

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“God gave me the talent and the strength to become a football player, which gave me the financial resources and empowerment to improve in other areas. I think it’s so important for football players to be smart with what they do with their salaries, because it can become an investment or be gone before you know it.

“It is very tempting in our industry to live for now – to buy the expensive cars and live a flashy lifestyle – but you have to plan so you’re able to do that in future too. This is an education players should get from a very early age to help them deal with the money they’ll make."

Nigel De Jong launched Continental Cars in 2007

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De Jong's company is based out of Hamburg, where he played his club football before moving to Manchester in 2009. Clients of his include German internationals Lukas Podolski and Mesut Ozil, as well as sheikhs and other wealthy individuals.

“Some people say footballers are thick and not bright enough to be entrepreneurs,” De Jong told Bundesliga.com during a spell back in Germany with Mainz. “But when I see that a company has potential, I move the borders and go all the way for it.”

De Jong won the Premier League with Manchester City

After ending his career in Qatar, De Jong has had more time to focus on things outside football. However, in 2023, he returned to the game when he was offered the role of technical director with the KNVB.

"I want to help improve Dutch top football, for men and women," De Jong said in a statement when his appointment was announced. "The Netherlands has always had the ambition to belong to the absolute world top. The talent we have at present and our past history justify that ambition.

"Working in top football requires specific knowledge and experience. In my years as a player I have gained this at various clubs in the Netherlands and abroad and I can use it now."

The 38-year-old played club football in several countries after setting up his business

The Dutch men's team have succeeded in their first goal since De Jong's arrival, sealing qualification for Euro 2024. They lost home and away against France in their group, but won their other six games to seal second spot.

The Netherlands women's side also impressed in their group at the 2023 World Cup, but fell to eventual champions Spain at the quarter-final stage. They have rebounded with three wins from four in the Nations League, leaving them in with a good chance of reaching the finals.