André Ooijer facts for kids
Ooijer in 2009
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | André Antonius Maria Ooijer | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 11 July 1974 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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PSV (youth coach) | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1979–1982 | SDW | |||||||||||||||
| 1982–1986 | SDZ | |||||||||||||||
| 1986–1994 | Ajax | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | → Volendam (loan) | 32 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Roda JC | 75 | (9) | |||||||||||||
| 1997–2006 | PSV | 192 | (19) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Blackburn Rovers | 79 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | PSV | 25 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | Ajax | 22 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 425 | (37) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2010 | Netherlands | 55 | (3) | |||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
André Ooijer (born 11 July 1974) is a Dutch former professional footballer. He played as a defender for big clubs like PSV, Blackburn Rovers, and Ajax.
André also played for the Netherlands for over ten years. He played in 57 international matches. He was part of the Dutch team for UEFA Euro 2008 and three FIFA World Cup tournaments. He helped his country reach the final of the 2010 World Cup.
He stopped playing professional football in 2012.
Contents
Playing Career
Starting Out in Football
André Ooijer was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He started playing football at just five years old for amateur teams. When he was 12, he played for clubs like SDW and SDZ. He then joined the youth academy of Ajax, a famous Dutch club. He stayed there until he was 20.
André felt it would be hard to get a spot in Ajax's main team. So, he went on loan to Volendam for one season in 1994–95. After that, he joined Roda JC in 1995. He usually played as a right-back, but he could also play as a centre-back or a defensive midfielder. After two good seasons with Roda JC, André moved to PSV in 1997.
Time at PSV Eindhoven
André Ooijer had a very successful time at PSV. He helped the team win the Eredivisie (the top Dutch league) five times! He also won the KNVB Cup once. During his time there, he regularly played in the UEFA Champions League, which is Europe's biggest club competition.
In 2005, André almost left PSV to join an Italian club called Genoa. However, the transfer was cancelled because of problems with Genoa's promotion. So, André returned to PSV.
Playing for Blackburn Rovers
On 23 August 2006, André moved to England to play for Blackburn Rovers. They were a team in the Premier League, England's top football league. He signed a two-year contract.
André's first game for Blackburn was against Chelsea. It was a tough start, but he slowly got used to the Premier League. He became an important player in Blackburn's defence.
In January 2007, André suffered a serious injury during a game against Manchester City. He broke a bone in his leg and tore ankle ligaments. This injury kept him out for the rest of that season.
He returned stronger and scored his first goal for Blackburn in August 2008 against Everton. He scored another important goal in April 2009 against Tottenham Hotspur F.C.. This goal helped Blackburn stay in the Premier League. In May 2009, André announced he would return to PSV.
Back to PSV and Ajax
On 21 May 2009, André Ooijer signed a one-year deal to play for PSV again. After that season, his contract ended, and he left PSV once more.
On 9 August 2010, André joined Ajax on a free transfer. He made his debut for Ajax on 21 August in a 3–0 win. He scored his first goal for Ajax on 30 October. In April 2011, he extended his contract for another year.
André announced on 13 March 2012 that he would stop playing football at the end of the 2011–12 season. On 6 May 2012, he played his last professional match. He even scored a goal for Ajax in a 3–1 win against Vitesse.
International Career
André Ooijer was first chosen for the Netherlands national team for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He was there as a backup player.
He made his first appearance for the Netherlands on 5 June 1999, in a match against Brazil. Even though he played well, he was not chosen for the final squad for the UEFA Euro 2000 tournament.
Later, in 2003, he played well in qualification matches for UEFA Euro 2004. He even scored a goal against Scotland. However, he was again left out of the final squad for the tournament.
André finally got to play in a major tournament when he was picked for the 2006 World Cup squad. He played in all four matches for his country, playing every minute of each game.
He was also part of the Netherlands' Euro 2008 squad. He played in the first two games. The Netherlands reached the quarter-finals but lost to Russia.
2010 FIFA World Cup
André was included in the team for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. On 27 May, it was confirmed he would be part of the final 23-player squad.
On 2 July, André was a surprise starter in the Netherlands' 2–1 win over Brazil. He stepped in at the last minute because another player was injured.
The Netherlands reached the final of the 2010 World Cup. They played against Spain but lost 1-0. André did not play in the final match.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, André Ooijer started working as a coach. He became the coach of the under-19 team for PSV. He also worked as an assistant coach for the first team at PSV, starting in the 2014–15 season.
Personal Life
André Ooijer is married to Joyce van de Kerkhof. Joyce is the daughter of Willy van de Kerkhof, who was also a famous Dutch football player. André and Joyce have two daughters named Demi and Danique. André also has two sons from a previous relationship, Denzell and Cerezo.
Honours and Achievements
André Ooijer won many titles during his football career:
Volendam
- KNVB Cup runner-up: 1994–95
Roda JC
- KNVB Cup: 1996–97
PSV
- Eredivisie (Dutch League Champion): 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2000
Ajax
- Eredivisie (Dutch League Champion): 2010–11, 2011–12
Netherlands National Team
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010
See also
In Spanish: André Ooijer para niños
