- Name: Sergiño Gianni DestDoB: 3rd– Nov-2000
- Place of Birth: Almere, Netherlands
- Nationality: Dutch-American
- Height: 5 feet 9 inches (1.75 mtr)
Sergio Gianni Dest (born Nov 3, 2000) is an American professional soccer player on loan from La Liga club Barcelona[1], playing as a full-back for Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven. Hailing from the Netherlands, he is a member of the national team of the United States.
Dest made his professional début with the Ajax senior team in July 2019, having previously participated in the club’s youth academy. He was a finalist for the 2020 Golden Boy and the Ajax Talent of the Year award in 2020 For €21 million, he joined Barcelona in October 2020, where he participated in the 2020–21 Copa del Rey He won the 2023–24 Eredivisie while on loan to PSV Eindhoven in 2023.
He made his début with the United States national team in September 2019 after being born in the Netherlands. In 2021 and 2023, he won the CONCACAF Nations League. The 2019 U.S. Young Soccer Player of the Year was bestowed upon him.
Early Life
Dest, who was born in the Netherlands to a Dutch mother and a Surinamese-American father, attended the Almere City youth academy[2] until 2012, when he transferred to the Ajax youth academy. Beginning his career as a forward, he advanced through the club’s ranks before deciding to convert to full-back.
A Club Career
Ajax
Dest made his Jong Ajax debut against Jong PSV on October 15, 2018, in a 2–1 defeat. Dest demonstrated remarkable prowess throughout the 2018–19 Dutch Eerste Divisie season, appearing in 18 games and accumulating one goal and two assists. In addition, he contributed one goal and one assist across seven appearances for the esteemed UEFA Youth League[3].
Dest made his official debut for the Ajax first squad on July 27, 2019, starting against rivals PSV Eindhoven in the 2019 Johan Cruyff Shield match. Ajax secured the trophy with a 2–0 victory in the match. Dest made his Eredivisie debut on August 10, 2019, coming on in the 54th minute to replace Noussair Mazraoui in Ajax’s 5–0 home victory over FC Emmen. Additionally, he served as a substitute against PAOK and APOEL in UEFA Champions League qualifying matches. Dest was formally promoted to the Ajax first team in September. He debuted in the Champions League on September 17, 2019, against Lille OSC, in a 3–0 victory for Ajax.[Dest recorded 35 appearances and two goals in his rookie year of senior football, both of which came in a KNVB Cup match against Telstar.
Barcelona
Dest was acquired by Barcelona on October 1, 2020, in exchange for an initial payment of €21 million plus an additional €5 million in variable costs. A buyout clause in his five-year contract with the club was valued at €400 million.[ Dest debuted for Barcelona against Sevilla on October 4, entering the match as a 75th-minute substitute for Jordi Alba in a 1–1 draw. Dest became the inaugural American to make a La Liga appearance for Barcelona with his appearance.
He became the first American to represent Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League match on October 20. Dest achieved an additional milestone later that month by becoming the first American to participate in El Clásico; although Barcelona was defeated 1–3 by rivals Real Madrid[4], Dest’s performance in the match was lauded. Dest scored his first goal for Barcelona in a 4–0 away victory over Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League group stage on November 25, 2020. Dest thus became the first American to score a goal for the club in his professional career. He scored two goals in a 6–1 away victory over Real Sociedad on March 21, 2021.
Loan with AC Milan
Dest joined Serie A club AC Milan[4] on a one-year loan with a €20 million purchase option on September 1, 2022. The 17th of September marked Dest’s Serie A début in a match against Napoli. He entered the game in place of Davide Calabria at halftime.
Laon to PSV
Dest commenced a season-long loan with Eredivisie club PSV on August 21, 2023. The Dutch club retains the option to finalize the transfer permanently. FC Barcelona retains the prerogative to receive a percentage of the player’s future sales.
International Career
Dest, whose dual nationality qualified him to represent both the United States and the Netherlands, made the decision to join the senior national team of the United States. Dest has served as a juvenile and full international representative for the United States. He represented the United States under-17 team in a total of five contests, four of which were at the 2017 FIFA Under-17 World Cup [5] . Four matches were contested on his behalf of the United States under-20 squad at the 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup [5]. He scored one goal in 12 appearances for the under-20 squad in total.
dismissed from the 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League match against Trinidad and Tobago on November 20, 2023, after obtaining two yellow cards in twenty seconds for a contentious altercation with the referee and American teammates.
Style of Play
Dest embodies a number of essential qualities for a full-back, including formidable offensive prowess, dependable defensive play, and exceptional possession. He is capable of challenging opponents, and his speed is an asset both offensively and defensively.
Loanee from Barcelona Sergino Dest is out for the remainder of the year due to a torn cruciate ligament.
The news is not favorable.Sergino Dest has been ruled out with a severe knee injury that could result in a nine-month absence for the United States national team star.
PSV confirmed the full-back suffered the injury over the weekend while in training, but indicated they are still considering the possibility of permanently acquiring him from Barcelona.
Nevertheless, there have been rumors that Dest’s injury is so grievous that he may be unable to return to action until the following season.
The Athletic reports that the 23-year-old Barcelona loanee “could be sidelined for up to nine months,” which would be an enormous setback.
Dest, according to Voetbal International, has ruptured his cruciate ligament and will be sidelined through 2024.
Dest will thus miss the USMNT Copa America this summer and a significant portion of the following season as well.
Since his season-long loan back to the Eredivisie from Barcelona, the American has been experiencing a productive campaign with PSV.
The squad is presently in first place the table by nine points with only four games remaining in the season.
National Team Highlights
Capable of representing both the United States and the Netherlands, he earned his official United States captaincy in November 2019 during Concacaf Nations League play.
His first international goal came on March 25, 2021, in a highlight-reel performance against Jamaica.
Awarded 2019 U.S. Soccer Young Male Player of the Year following club and national breakout campaigns.
Contributed significantly to the U-20 MYNT’s journey to the quarterfinals of the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland.
American representative at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup
FIFA World Cup Qualifications for 2022
Completing the cycle with six starts, one goal, and one assist in six appearances.
His missile equalized the score in the 25th minute of Columbus, Ohio’s 2-1 victory over Costa Rica on October 13, 2021. He assisted 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup fellow player Tim Weah on the game-winning pass.
Conceded an impeccably lobbed cross to Ricardo Pepi’s head for the game-winning assist in Austin on October 7, 2021, in a 2-0 shutout of Jamaica.
CLUB Highlights
Achieved the historic feat of scoring for the illustrious Spanish club FC Barcelona subsequent to a profitable transfer in October 2020; the transfer fee of $25 million ranked second-highest for an American.
He is the first American to compete in the greatest rivalry in soccer, El Clásico (Barcelona vs. Real Madrid).
In 2021, Barcelona defeated Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in the Copa Del Rey final, thereby becoming the first U.S. international to accomplish this feat.
Achieved significant recognition for the illustrious Dutch club Ajax in 2019-20, being named the organization’s Young Talent of the Year.
USMNT set June friendly as Copa America approaches: Gregg Berhalter seeks Sergino Dest successor
Gregg Berhalter has named his 27-man roster for friendlies against Colombia on June 8 and Brazil on June 12 ahead of a hectic summer for the US men’s national team. With the Copa America group stage starting on June 23, these friendlies allow Berhalter to try new ideas and assess his players before the USMNT’s biggest competition since the 2022 World Cup. The squad must find a right defender to replace Sergino Dest at a crucial time.
The 23-year-old USMNT right defender and Antonee Robinson’s left back backup will miss Copa America due to an ACL injury. Dest’s possession and defensive skills help the USMNT stifle opposition. Chris Richards can play right back without Dest, and Shaq Moore and Joe Scally have been brought up to prove their stuff.
“We’re really using these games to see both individually and collectively how we can perform and when you get to play against teams like Brazil, Colombia, and Uruguay, what you get is information and that information is going to help you grow and improve as you go toward 2026,” Berhalter said about the goal of these friendlies. I can offer you other examples of how these games helped us grow and improve early on with this group. We want that to continue. I use these games to help this group grow individually and collectively.”
The Call It What You Want podcast discusses the USMNT and the American game passionately, unapologetically, and intelligently! Download and follow Call It What You Want on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or other podcast platforms!
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): Ethan Horvath (Cardiff City/WAL; 9/0), Sean Johnson (Toronto FC/CAN; 13/0), and Matt Turner (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 39/0).
DEFENDERS (9): Cameron Carter-Vickers (Genk/BEL; 16/0); Kristoffer Lund (Palermo/ITA; 3/0); Mark McKenzie (Genk/BEL; 13/0); Shaq Moore (18/1); Tim Ream (Fulham/ENG; 56/1); Chris Richards (16/1); Antonee Robinson (41/4); Miles Robinson (29/3); Joe Scally (9/0) are among the defenders (9) for the Crystal Palace/ENG.
MIDFIELDERS (8): Timmy Tillman (LAFC); Luca de la Torre (Celta Vigo/ESP); Luca Adams (Bournemouth/ENG; 38/2); Weston McKennie (Juventus/ITA; 51/11); Yunus Musah (AC Milan; ITA; 35/0); Gio Reyna (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 26/8); Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 10/0); Timmy Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 10/0); Timmy Tillman (LAFC; 1/0).
FORWARDS (7): Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven/NED; 23/10); Christian Pulisic (AC Milan/ITA; 66/28); Josh Sargent (Norwich City/ENG; 23/5); Tim Weah (Juventus/ITA; 37/5); Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 9/4) are the forwards (Union Berlin/GER; 40/8); Victor Weah (Juventus/ITA; 37/5); and Haji Wright (Coventry City/ENG; 9/4).
Regarding defense
“When we consider what we’re attempting to accomplish in light of Sergino’s injury, we must determine the optimal back situation and can consider a variety of alternatives. Regarding his right back options heading into these matches, Berhalter stated, “We have wingers who can play there alongside Timothy Weah, who played that position for his club; center midfielders Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah can also play there; and we are also evaluating center backs to see if they can play there as well.” “Therefore, our sole objective for this training camp was to provide participants with flexibility and options.” Although some of it might center on a back three, our primary aim is to determine how we will proceed with the right back position in light of the impending Sergino absence.
This is a lot to unpack, as Berhalter has listed every conceivable option at his disposal, but it demonstrates how difficult it is to replace Dest. Berhalter must implement an unorthodox right back out wide or a back three in order to modify the system and get things to work. Although coaches prefer to avoid making significant adjustments prior to a competitive tournament, Berhalter is limited in his ability to do so due to the circumstances he has been presented with.
Although Richards is a more defensive option at right back, his experience with Crystal Palace makes him a logical addition. Theoretically, Richards, who can occasionally play as a defensive midfielder or in the middle, could assist the team in transforming into a back three in possession, thereby enabling Antonee Robinson to advance when necessary to help compensate for Dest’s lack of creativity.
Olympic Games approaching
Although Berhalter acknowledged that certain players, such as Kevin Paredes, were omitted from this squad in order to prepare for the Olympics, the other major tournament of the summer, which primarily features players under the age of 23, he also highlighted several overaged players who might be eligible to compete in that competition. Three athletes older than 23 are eligible to compete in the Paris Olympics; Brandon Vazquez, Auston Trusty, and Walker Zimmerman are some who may qualify. In order to improve the U-23s’ consistency of performance, it makes sense to add a striker to the roster, possibly between Jesus Ferreira and Vazquez, given that the objective is to strengthen areas where they are lacking. Additionally, additional experience at center back could be advantageous for Marko Mitrovic. On June 11, the U-23s will face Japan in their final friendly before the Olympics. The ultimate roster will subsequently be determined in July.
Comments are closed.