Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has said he "never doubted" whether he was good enough to play for the club. 

De Jong made one of the most high-profile transfers of the summer window, moving to the Blaugrana from Dutch giants Ajax for a reported £65 million. After an inconsistent start to life at the club, the Dutch international has found his rhythm as of late and is showing why Barcelona were ready to spend big to sign him.

Speaking to De Telegraaf (h/t Sam France of Goal), De Jong said his belief never wavered that he was good enough to play for an elite outfit:

"I had actually expected that the step up from Ajax would not be that big. I know what level we achieved last season.

"There is even more quality here; I play with even bigger players, some of whom are of course very special due to their exceptional qualities, such as Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets. Despite those big names, I never doubted I could make the step up."

De Jong has been an almost ever present for Barcelona in La Liga, helping the team establish a two-point advantage over rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table at Christmas. 

The 22-year-old can look back on a remarkable 2019, in which he established a reputation as one of the best midfielders on the planet. De Jong was crucial to Ajax winning the Eredivisie and the KNVB Cup, as well as putting together a memorable run to UEFA Champions League semi-finals.

Even though he has left the Amsterdam juggernauts, there's still a clear affinity between De Jong and his former club:

De Jong's team-mate Lionel Messi praised the Dutchman at the start of the campaign:

It was no surprise to see De Jong make a move to Barcelona on the back of that success, although it did take the playmaker some time to fully settle in.

During the recent Clasico stalemate with Barcelona, even though he's playing to a higher level now, De Jong is still having some issues at the Camp Nou due to a lack of support:

However, the talent of the Dutchman hasn't gone unnoticed:

Given the remarkable strides he has made this year, it's easy to forget that De Jong is still in the early stages of his career. There have been some teething problems at Barcelona, although there's no indication he won't be anything other than a success at the club.

De Jong referenced the likes of Messi, Suarez and Busquets as crucial figures for the side, although they are all 31 years old or older. The onus will be on the likes of Dutchman to help eventually usher the team into a new era in the coming years.