De Jong: Xavi and I worked very well together at Barcelona, he is a great fit to coach Netherland

Xavi and De Jong will be reunited with the Netherlands national team. The Barcelona midfielder missed the last international break while making his final preparations for a comeback, but the two will meet again during the November international window.

In an interview with NOS, De Jong said Xavi called him before he was officially announced as the new national team coach. "He called me in advance, and it was nice to know he was considering the job. I was a bit surprised because we haven't had a foreign coach in a long time. But I'm happy," De Jong said.

De Jong believes the Dutch FA's appointment of Xavi will be well received. "We worked very well together at Barcelona. I know his view on football, and it fits the national team very well. He wants high pressing and attacking play, and he won't change his principles. He has many variations in how he executes his tactics," De Jong said. "Now we have to start rebuilding, which will take time," he added.

The midfielder returned to action against Real Madrid after sustaining an injury during the World Cup. De Jong admitted it was a "long and tough period," but said he is confident he will recover well. "The uncertainty of this injury recovery was much less, let's say, than with my previous ankle injury," he explained.

De Jong stated that although the injury prevented him from starting the new season with Barcelona, all issues have been resolved with the club. "Everyone knows the situation and how things progressed, so there's no resentment. Of course, we had discussions when deciding whether to have surgery. Then a joint decision was made, and we moved forward."