Sergino Dest Was Born To Surinamese-American Father And Dutch Mother

Sergino Dest was born to his parents, Kenneth Dest and a Dutch mother. He was born on November 3, 2000.

Dest’s father is of Surinamese descent and migrated to America for job opportunities. His mother is a native of Almere, Netherlands.

Sergino’s parents enrolled him at Almere City Academy in 2009 to assist him in following the courses of his dream.

The fullback could represent the United States or the Netherlands, but he chose his father’s side. It was not difficult for him to get a place in the Dutch national team, but it was his father’s dream to see him represent his nation.

Dest’s decision to join the United States comes down to trust and loyalty. He was regularly selected in the youth tournaments with the U.S. side, representing them in the under-17 and 20s tournaments.

He played for his dad’s country in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship 2018 and CONCACAF Nations League 2019–20.

Despite this, the Netherlands has also made intriguing offers to include him in their national team because of his Dutch ancestry.

Sergino Dest was born the only child of his parents. He still lives with his parents, and there are no signs of his fame changing him.

Young Sergino had a lifelong interest in football back in the day. He spent much of his free time playing street soccer while growing up in Almere’s streets alongside his friends.

As stated in ESPN, Dest belongs to the Snapchat generation. If he absolutely must send something, he uses his mother’s account.

Dest wants to make history with rising American players like Christian Pulisic and Zack Steffan. 

The fullback has said: “My heart told me the U.S. was the best option for me. I was raised in the Netherlands. I love it here. But in life, you have to make difficult decisions. I felt the U.S. was the best option. I played in their youth teams and felt at home there.”

“It’s not as if the U.S. is bad at soccer, either. They play in World Cups and against a lot of the same teams as the Netherlands.”

Most of the time, Sergino Dest spent his childhood in the Netherlands. He grew up as a fan of Ajax, where he joined as a youth.

On October 15, 2018, Dest made his Jong Ajax debut in a 2-1 loss to Jong PSV. He made 18 appearances in the Dutch Eerste Divisie during the 2018–19 season, recording one goal and two assists. He also netted a goal and assisted in seven appearances in the prestigious UEFA Youth League. 

In 2019, the fullback made his first-team debut with Ajax. He started in the 2019 Johan Cruyff Shield and played against arch-rivals PSV Eindhoven. His team won the match 2-0, which ultimately helped him in his Eredivisie debut against F.C. Emmen.

Dest scored two goals in his final 35 appearances for his first senior season against Telstar in the KNVB Cup game.

In 2020, the promising fullback attracted the attention of ex-FC Barcelona’s head coach, Ronald Koeman, who signed him for an initial €21 million fee plus a further €5 million in variables.

The youngster made 51 appearances for Barcelona, helping his team win the Copa Del Rey in the 2020-2021 campaign. However, Dest was not in the plans of F.C. Barcelona’s current coach, Xavi Hernandez, who loaned him to the Serie A with AC Milan.

Undoubtedly, one of the fundamental keys to Dest’s early success is his tenacity, fearlessness, and integrity. Additionally, he has a personality that exudes so much good energy. Thus, the Dutch football player is generally upbeat and has a great sense of humour.