André Ooijer facts for kids
Ooijer in 2009
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 11 July 1974 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defender | |||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||
| Current club | 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) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2010 | Netherlands | 55 | (3) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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André Antonius Maria Ooijer (born 11 July 1974) is a Dutch former professional footballer. He played as a defender for several top clubs like Ajax, PSV, and Blackburn Rovers.
Ooijer also played for the Netherlands national team for over ten years, earning 57 appearances. He was part of the Dutch team in three FIFA World Cups and UEFA Euro 2008. He helped his country reach the final of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
He stopped playing professional football in 2012.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
André Ooijer was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He started playing football when he was just five years old. By the time he was 12, he was playing for amateur clubs like SDW and SDZ.
He then joined the youth academy of Ajax, a very famous Dutch club. He stayed there until he was 20 years old.
Moving to Other Clubs
André felt it would be hard to get a spot in the main Ajax team because of all the competition. So, he went on loan to Volendam for the 1994–95 season. A loan means a player temporarily plays for another team.
After that, he joined Roda JC in 1995. At this point in his career, he mostly 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, Ooijer moved to PSV in 1997.
Success with PSV
Ooijer had a very successful time at PSV. He helped the team win the Eredivisie title five times. The Eredivisie is the top football league in the Netherlands. He also won the KNVB Cup once. He regularly played in the UEFA Champions League with PSV, which is Europe's biggest club competition.
In 2005, it looked like Ooijer would leave PSV to join Genoa in Italy. However, his transfer was cancelled because of some issues with Genoa's promotion. So, he returned to PSV.
Playing in England with Blackburn Rovers
On 23 August 2006, André Ooijer moved to England to play for Blackburn Rovers. They are a club in the Premier League, which is England's top football league. Blackburn paid about £2 million for him.
His first game for Blackburn was against Chelsea. It was a tough start, as he gave away a penalty and was involved in another goal for Chelsea. He also scored an own-goal in a game against Manchester City soon after. But he worked hard and became a key player in Blackburn's defense.
In January 2007, he suffered a serious injury during a game against Manchester City. He broke a bone in his lower leg and tore ankle ligaments. This meant he couldn't play for the rest of that season.
He scored his first goal for Blackburn on 16 August 2008, helping them win 3–2 against Everton. His second goal came on 4 April 2009 against Tottenham Hotspur F.C.. This winning goal was very important for Blackburn to stay in the Premier League.
His contract with Blackburn ended in May 2009.
Back to PSV and Ajax
On 21 May 2009, Ooijer agreed to return to PSV for one more year. After that season, his contract ended again, and he left PSV.
On 9 August 2010, Ooijer signed a one-year deal with Ajax, joining them for free. He made his debut on 21 August and scored his first goal for Ajax on 30 October. He signed another one-year contract extension in April 2011.
André Ooijer 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 very last professional match for Ajax and even scored a goal in a 3–1 win against Vitesse. What a way to end a career!
International Career for the Netherlands
Ooijer was first chosen for the Netherlands national team for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He was there as a backup player.
His first game for the Netherlands was on 5 June 1999, against Brazil. He played well, but he was not chosen for the final squad for UEFA Euro 2000.
He later played in important qualification matches for UEFA Euro 2004, even scoring a goal against Scotland. But again, he was left out of the final squad for the tournament.
Playing in Major Tournaments
Ooijer finally got to play in a major tournament when he was picked for the 2006 FIFA 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 group games. The Netherlands reached the quarter-finals but lost to Russia.
2010 FIFA World Cup Finalist
Ooijer was included in the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. This was a huge moment for him and his country.
On 2 July, he was called into the starting team for the Netherlands' quarter-final match against Brazil just 20 minutes before the game started. The Netherlands won 2–1!
The Netherlands reached the final of the 2010 World Cup, but they sadly lost 1-0 to Spain. Even though he didn't play in the final, being part of a World Cup finalist team is a massive achievement.
Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Ooijer started working as a coach. He became the coach of the under-19 team and an assistant coach for the first team at PSV in 2014.
Personal Life
André Ooijer is married to Joyce van de Kerkhof. Her father, Willy van de Kerkhof, was also a famous Dutch football player. André and Joyce have two daughters, Demi and Danique. He also has two sons from a previous relationship, Denzell and Cerezo.
International Goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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| 1. | 19 November 2003 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands |  Scotland |
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UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying |
| 2. | 3 September 2004 | Stadion Galgenwaard, Utrecht, Netherlands |  Liechtenstein |
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Friendly |
| 3. | 10 June 2009 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Norway |
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2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
Here are some of the major titles and awards André Ooijer won during his career:
Volendam
- KNVB Cup runner-up: 1994–95 (meaning they reached the final but didn't win)
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 (a Dutch Super Cup)
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2010–11, 2011–12
Netherlands National Team
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010 (meaning they came second in the World Cup)
See Also
In Spanish: André Ooijer para niños
