As a player for MVV, Jerry de Jong stole a teammate’s debit card at the beginning of this century. The club from Maastricht fired him. At that time, the three-time international was also addicted to gambling. “That caused a lot of shame for himself and for his children.”
“Apparently the request for the interview came at the right time,” Van den Busken looks back on the double portrait. “There was contact between Jerry and Nigel, just not as intensive. Not as you would expect between a father and son. I thought it was very impressive how open they were in those conversations and how they reflected their relationship.”
Second chance
“At that time, Jerry really had to start from scratch. He put a lot of effort into getting his life back on track. For example, he worked for the municipality of Eindhoven to help problem youth. Nigel appreciated that effort and he gave his father a second chance.”