De Jong picks Persiba Balikpapan from among many offers

Azkal Jason De Jong finally signed with Persatuan Sepak Bola Indonesia Balikpapan Football Club in the Indonesian Super League, after receiving numerous offers from Indonesian clubs. "During the Suzuki Cup, a lot of people actually approached me wanting to be my manager and agent. To be honest though, I listened to everyone. I kept everything open. Actually I said yes to five different people, but then again I just picked the right one, the one that I like," he said. "It's a big club in Indonesia. I think this is right for me. I hope I can develop there," said De Jong, who trained with the team on Tuesday. News circulated that De Jong signed with Sriwijaya FC, another Indonesian football club. However, he clarified on his Facebook page that he did not sign with Sriwijaya due to disagreements on the terms of the contract. The main concern though is will his stint with the Azkals be affected. "I had a meeting with coach Weiss and Dan Palami and they said, 'Jason, we're gonna look for something that will work with the Azkals because we need you a lot here. Maybe not always for the first 11, but just to have you here for the team spirit,'" De Jong said. Still available for national duties Even if he has already signed with Persiba Balikpapan, De Jong assures everyone that he will still be available to play for the Philippine national team. Aside from their plan to beat Mongolia on foreign soil, Jason is also excited about the Southeast Asian Games in November. "Coach Weiss wants to build a youth team, and a lot of new guys are coming. If you think about it, they will be the Azkals in five years. They'll be the ones carrying the Philippine flag then. It's double the honor for me since I’m playing both in the Azkals and in the U-23 squad," he said. - Mav C. Gonzales, JVP, KY, GMA News