Former Holland striker Rene van der Gijp hailed the performance of Frenkie de Jong for Barcelona's 4-0 thrashing of Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final.
De Jong produced two assists and also scored on the night. But what impressed a watching Van der Gijp most was the midfielder's work off the ball. The former PSV Eindhoven striker was amazed by the energy shown by De Jong on the night.
Speaking on Veronica Inside, Van der Gijp said via Voetbalzone: “I don't know if it is so smart what Frenkie de Jong did last weekend.
“If that game is the norm, then he really has a problem. Then he has to ask for three pairs of boots a month from Adidas.
“He ran all over the field dude, that fool. If you put this on the mat ... He was really crazy good."
Van der Gijp is convinced the performance of De Jong on Saturday night cannot be achieved regularly given the energy the midfielder spent.
He added: “You can't do every week what De Jong showed in the second half. That is impossible. Look at the number of metres that he has also covered."
So far this season, De Jong has managed 44 appearances, scoring seven goals and producing eight assists. The midfielder is now firmly established as a first-choice for Barca coach Ronald Koeman.
In the LaLiga, Barca currently sit in third place, five points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, though with a game in hand.
- updated April 21