Andy van der Meyde facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Andy van der Meyde

Van der Meyde in 2008
Personal information
Birth name	Andy van der Meijde
Date of birth	(1979-09-30) 30 September 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth	Arnhem, Netherlands
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Winger
Youth career
	Vitesse 1892
	Ajax
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1997–2003	Ajax	91	(18)
1999–2000	→ Twente (loan)	32	(2)
2003–2005	Inter Milan	32	(1)
2005–2009	Everton	20	(0)
2010	PSV	0	(0)
2011–2012	WKE	6	(0)
Total		181	(21)
International career
2002–2004	Netherlands	17	(1)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Netherlands UEFA European Championship Bronze 2004 Portugal
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Andy van der Meijde (born 30 September 1979) is a former professional footballer from the Netherlands. He was known for playing as a winger, which means he played on the sides of the field.

Andy became well-known while playing for Ajax in his home country. Later, he played for big clubs like Inter Milan in Italy and Everton in England. He also played for the Netherlands national team from 2002 to 2004. During this time, he played 17 games and scored one goal. He even represented his country at the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament.

Playing for Clubs

Starting at Ajax

Andy van der Meijde was born in Arnhem, Netherlands. He joined the famous Ajax club when he was young. He made his first team debut at just 18 years old. This was in a game against Twente on 12 November 1997, which Ajax won 1–0.

To gain more experience, Andy was loaned to Twente for one season in 1999. He played a lot of games there and was a key player. Twente finished sixth in the Eredivisie, which is the top football league in the Netherlands.

Becoming a Star Player

In the 2001–02 season, Andy became a regular starter for Ajax. A new coach, Ronald Koeman, helped him become an important part of the team. He made the right-winger position his own. This season was very successful for Ajax. They won "the double," which means they won both the league and the main cup. Andy scored five goals in the league that year.

The 2002–03 season was even better for Andy. He played alongside other young talents like Mido, Zlatan Ibrahimović, and Wesley Sneijder. He scored his career-best of 11 goals. He also helped Ajax reach the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League. He scored an important goal in a 1–1 draw against Roma, which helped his team move forward in the competition.

Moving to Inter Milan

In 2003, when Andy was 24, he moved to Italy to play for Inter Milan. Inter Milan is a very big club. He played 14 games in his first season in Serie A, Italy's top league. He played a bit more in his second season there.

Andy scored a fantastic goal against Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League on 17 September 2003. Inter Milan won that away game 3–0. Even with that great goal, Inter Milan did not make it past the group stages that year.

Playing for Everton

After leaving Inter Milan, Andy joined Everton, a team in the Premier League in England. He signed with them on 31 August 2005. In his first game against rival team Liverpool on 25 March 2006, he received a red card.

Andy faced some challenges during his time at Everton, including injuries. He wanted to stay and prove himself to the fans. He said he loved playing in England and wanted to show everyone his skills.

Challenges at Everton

In August 2006, Andy had some health issues and was admitted to the hospital. Later, his house was burgled, and some of his belongings were stolen. In March 2007, he had a disagreement with his manager, David Moyes, but he later apologized.

Andy continued to face difficulties, including missing training sessions. In August 2007, he was suspended by the club for not showing up for training. He explained that he was going through a difficult personal time because his young daughter was ill. Because of these challenges, he did not play for the main team for over a year. He only played for the reserve team.

Andy returned to the first team on 7 December 2008. He played a few minutes in a game against Aston Villa. The next month, he helped Everton win an FA Cup game against Liverpool by providing an assist for the winning goal. His contract with Everton ended in June 2009.

Later Career

After leaving Everton, Andy did not have a club for six months. In March 2010, he signed a short-term deal with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands. He played in a friendly game but did not appear in any official matches for them.

In February 2011, Andy van der Meijde decided to retire from professional football at the age of 31. However, in December of that year, he returned to play for an amateur team called WKE until the end of the season.

Playing for the Netherlands

Van der Meyde (wearing No.7) in the Dutch wall, facing a free kick against Sweden at Euro 2004.

Andy van der Meijde made his debut for the Dutch national team on 19 May 2002. This was in a game against the United States. He scored a goal in that game, helping his team win 2–0.

He helped the Netherlands reach the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2004. He played in four games during the tournament. He even assisted Ruud van Nistelrooy for a goal in a 1–1 draw against Germany. However, he did not play in the semi-final match against Portugal.

After Euro 2004, Andy did not receive any more calls to play for the national team. This was partly because new young players like Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie were emerging. He finished his international career with 17 games played for his country.

Honours and Achievements

Andy van der Meijde won several trophies during his football career:

Ajax

• Eredivisie (Dutch League): 1997–98, 2001–02
• KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup): 1997–98, 1998–99, 2001–02
• Johan Cruijff Shield (Dutch Super Cup): 2002

Inter Milan

• Coppa Italia (Italian Cup): 2004–05

Images for kids

• 

  Van der Meyde in 2008

• 

  Van der Meyde (wearing No.7) in the Dutch wall, facing a free kick against Sweden at Euro 2004.

See also

In Spanish: Andy van der Meyde para niños