*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:03, 28 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2024 (UTC)
After representing various Dutch youth teams, he started his career at Sparta Rotterdam, and also played for SC Heerenveen in his home country before moving to Italian club Atalanta in 2015. He also played for English club Middlesbrough before rejoining Atalanta in 2017.
De Roon is a Dutch international, having played for the Netherlands at the U19 level before making his senior debut in 2016. He was named in the Dutch squad for the UEFA Euro 2020 and 2022 FIFA World Cup.
On 4 July 2016, De Roon signed for newly-promoted Premier League side Middlesbrough for a reported £12 million transfer fee.[15] He scored his first goal for his new club – a 91st-minute equaliser – on 5 November 2016 in a 1–1 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. He went on to score a further 3 league goals for the club over the remainder of the season, including the only goal in a victory over Sunderland in the Tees–Wear derby, however Middlesbrough were relegated on 8 May 2017.[16] On 18 July 2017, Middlesbrough confirmed that they paid £8.8 million for De Roon, with Atalanta earning another £900,000 after the midfielder played 30 games for the club.[17]
Return to Atalanta
On 10 August 2017, De Roon re-signed for Atalanta for an undisclosed fee.[18] He once again cemented himself as a starter under Gian Piero Gasperini, and helped Atalanta finish in a historic 3rd place in the 2018–19 season, earning them a spot in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League group stage. He also scored a volley against Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia semi-finals in the 58th minute.[19] Atalanta would win the tie 5–4, though lost in the final against Lazio.[20] He made his Champions League debut on 18 September 2019 against Dinamo Zagreb.[21]
In the 2023–24 season, he frequently captained his team and marked a milestone by playing his 250th Serie A match in a 3–0 away victory over Empoli, becoming the first foreign player to reach this achievement at the club.[22] On 15 May 2024, he suffered a knee injury during the Coppa Italia final against Juventus, which resulted in a 1–0 defeat. This injury also sidelined him for the Europa League final, where his team secured their first-ever title in the competition with a 3–0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.[23]
He was later named in the first Dutch squad chosen by new national team manager Ronald Koeman. This was in March 2018 for the friendlies against England and Portugal.[25]