Sergiño Dest is a professional footballer who played for La Liga’s Barcelona and is currently playing for PSV Eindhoven on loan.
The fullback was born to a Surinamese-American father and a Dutch mother in the Netherlands.
This article sheds light on Sergiño Dest’s parents, family background, and their influence on his football career.
Sergiño Dest is multi-ethnic
Sergiño Dest was born on November 3, 2000, to a Surinamese-American father and a Dutch mother in Almere, Netherlands. He has an American and Dutch nationality. In addition, he holds two citizenship due to his parents’ different backgrounds.
Sergiño Dest’s parents were from an upper-middle-class family that fully supported and provided for Sergiño. They had successful jobs and careers, as his father was an American serviceman.
Due to Sergiño Dest’s nationality, the Netherlands sought him and made exciting offers to play for their national team. However, he chose to play for the United States national football team over the Dutch for personal reasons.
Sergiño Dest’s family background
Sergiño Dest’s father, Kenneth Dest, was born and raised in Suriname.
He migrated to Brooklyn in the United States of America with his family when he was young. In adulthood, he worked with the American States Service as a serviceman.
Not surprisingly, Kenneth was also a footballer who played for the SUNY Canton college football team in upstate New York. He was later drafted into the U.S. Army and selected to serve in the Vietnam War.
He continued serving in the army after the Vietnam War and was later stationed in Germany.
While working there, Kenneth Dest occasionally visited the Netherlands during his leisure time, where he met Sergiño’s mother.
She was a Dutch native with Surinamese roots, with whom they had a series of ups and downs in their long-distance relationship.
The couple eventually got back together and settled in Almere, where they had and raised Sergiño Dest.
Sergiño Dest’s family started a milestone in his football career
Sergiño Dest had a passion for football early on and was determined to make football a lifelong career. As such, his parents enrolled him in Almere City Academy in Almere, Netherlands, in 2009.
He trained hard in the academy before joining the Ajax Youth Academy in Amsterdam, Netherlands, three years later.
The American-Dutch footballer would spend most of his time playing football with his friends and his Youth Academy teammates.
The PSV footballer took advantage of his American citizenship to play for the United States national team.
He stated that whenever he didn’t make it in the last round selection of the Netherlands youth team, his father’s nationality reminded him that he had an American passport.
Little is known about his mother
Sergiño Dest’s mother, whose name is unknown, is out of the social media and celebrity spotlight. However, she plays an important role in the success of the PSV player.
She encouraged him as a child to pursue football as a career and enrolled him in youth clubs. His mother was his support system and strong foundation in childhood and adolescence.
He has no siblings
Sergiño Dest is the only child of Kenneth Dest and his wife. Despite that, he formed strong bonds with his teammates and childhood friends that he considered a brotherhood.
The famous footballer lives with his parents and proves to be raised in a humble and private family. He also has a great personality and radiates positive energy to those around him.
Sergiño Dest’s parents are Christians
Sergiño Dest was raised in a Christian home under the Catholic faith.
However, there is little detail on whether he practices it or does it away from the public spotlight.
Kenneth inspired Sergiño to choose the United States over the Netherlands
According to ESPN, Sergiño Dest spoke about choosing the United States over the Netherlands. Ironically, he said he never asked his father for advice on choosing which team he should play.
Instead, he decided to play for the United States after taking time to think. He states that he followed his heart in choosing a suitable team to play for.
He added that playing for the U.S. was his dream, and he’d like to create history with the team in winning the World Cup. In addition, he took pride in his American heritage, as did his father, who served in the U.S. Army for 25 years before retiring in 1994.
The United States also offered a program that prioritized him and his football career more than the Dutch national team ever did. He represented the United States at the youth and international level.
