 Born in Paramaribo, Suriname, de Jong started off his career in the second division, where he played for Telstar and SC Heerenveen.He earned a reputation as a tough tackler, and his performances did not go unnoticed by Eredivisie clubs, as he joined PSV Eindhoven in the summer of 1989.At Eindhoven, de Jong's career never really picked up due to the stiff competition for a starting line-up berth, and after having played only 51 games in five years, which included a short loan spell at FC Groningen, he was eventually released.