Nigel de Jong's father feels the Manchester City midfielder is happy in England.
Last season De Jong hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons again when his challenge on Newcastle's Hatem Ben Arfa resulted in another leg break.
De Jong turned to his father for advice when Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk axed him from Holland's squad for being too aggressive.
"Nigel was fed up with Holland for a while," said De Jong senior told the Sunday Mirror. "I could understand that.
"Of course people are allowed to express their opinions about him and of course I can see that those tackles did not help Nigel's image.
"I feel that Nigel gets a lot of respect in the Premier League because he is hard, but fair.
"I am proud of what my son has achieved and I am thrilled that we get on again.
"I recognise a lot of things in his personality and character.
"I was left with my mother when I was young and I know from experience that a child with divorced parents has to work harder for things in life and is more independent.
"I think that counts for Nigel too. He has found his own way in life.""But making tackles is what made him a big player. In the Premier League you can't pull your leg out of a tackle.
