Barcelona: Historic Dest, first American in a Classic

Sergiño Dest (3-11-2000) will be the first player Nationality American in play a classic after more than 90 years of the Spanish League. A milestone that will feature a 19 year old boy who has gone so far as to say that, if necessary, will be without oxygen for Messi, but whose childhood idol is Ronaldinho. Signed from Ajax for 21 million euros plus five in variables, Dest was born in Almere (Netherlands). his mother is dutch and his father, a american military of Surinamese origin.

Dest did not know the United States until a trip he made to New York, the city where his father was born, in 2014. It was Dave van der Bergh, the former U-20 coach, who found Dest. Van der Bergh had played at Ajax in the 90s and, in his job recruiting players, he asked at the club ajacied if some boy from the quarry he had a US passport. There was Dest, en el Ajax Sub-17. Van der Bergh received audiovisual material from the player and the courtship began there.

United States is excited for a generation in which stand out players like Christian Pulisic, Timothy Weah (Lille, son of the mythical George), Weston Mckennie (Juventus) and Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen). “It can sing The Star-Splangled Banner? “They asked him during a concentration of the American national team. Perhaps, to test his American sentiment.”I can’t sing but I know the lyrics“, answered cheeky the player, who already in his presentation as a Barça player showed signs of not cutting himself. “It can be said that I I look like Alves“, he blurted out quietly.

Dest, lover of basketball and chips, movie fan Creed, from the series Prison Break and artist Drake, keep that military son point in some episodes. In January of this year he asked leave an Ajax rally in Qatar. He was not comfortable with the tension that had been generated in the Middle East between the United States and Iran after the assassination of General Qasem. Soleimani in Baghdad. The club gave him permission. Less than a year later, he is at the gates of an approaching Classic a little more to the United States.