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After playing his first 53 minutes with the LA Galaxy over the weekend, Nigel de Jong was officially unveiled as a Galaxy player in front of media on Tuesday.
De Jong, 31, arrives to the Galaxy after a reported $500,000 move from Italian powerhouse AC Milan.
As ever, general manager and head coach Bruce Arena accompanied the club's newest signing, with De Jong opening up about his reputation as a physical player and his love for American sports.
Often described as a rough midfielder, De Jong has earned the reputation of being something of a bruiser in the middle of the pitch. When asked about his label as a midfield destroyer, De Jong was quite candid in his response.
"If you know me a little bit more then I don't really care what people say. It's not about the reputation. It is about the winner's mentality that you have to show on the pitch," he said. "For me that is not a problem. It has never been a problem in my career. I am 31 now so I think I got a lot of experience knowing that.
De Jong also described his move to MLS as the "complete package" and even described his love for American sports as one of the reasons for coming to LA. "Yeah, I am a big sports fan since I was little. That made it even easier because I love American sports." De Jong admitted.
As for his favorite NFL team? De Jong confessed his allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
De Jong is expected to play his first professional game for the Galaxy when Bruce Arena's side take on Santos Laguna in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals clash.