'Frenkie de Jong from Aldi' - USMNT midfielder Luca de la Torre reveals nickname given to him by Heracles fans

The United States international made his way to the Netherlands when leaving English football at Fulham in the summer of 2020. He has since earned another step up the footballing ladder when swapping the Eredivisie for Celta Vigo in La Liga.

De La Torre has forged a reputation with club and country for being comfortable in possession and progressing the ball forward – much like Barcelona’s Dutch star De Jong. The 25-year-old midfielder has told ESPN of his somewhat unusual nickname: “When I was playing in Holland, the fans of the club called me Frenkie de Jong from Aldi. Which is like Frenkie de Jong from a cheap knock-off supermarket. Which I guess was a compliment.”

De La Torre is up to 17 caps for the USMNT – forming part of their triumphant CONCACAF Nations League squad over the summer – and expects his game to be taken to even greater heights in Spain. He added: “The level of football is higher here obviously, both physically and technically. As a midfielder when you’re pressing, it’s important to not get beat and to make fouls when you have to. That was something I really had to add to my game when I made this step.”

The highly-rated playmaker has become a vital cog in Celta Vigo’s midfield machine, starting 21 games since his switch to Spain in 2022 – with five of those coming through six La Liga fixtures in the 2023-24 campaign.