Andy van der Meyde facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Andy van der Meyde

Van der Meyde in 2008
Personal information
Date of birth	(1979-09-30) 30 September 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth	Arnhem, Netherlands
Height	1.77 m
Playing position	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)
National team
2002–2004	Netherlands	17	(1)
Honours Men's football Representing  Netherlands UEFA European Championship Bronze 2004 Portugal
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Andy van der Meijde (born 30 September 1979) is a Dutch former professional footballer. He played as a winger, which is a player who attacks from the sides of the field.

He became well-known while playing for Ajax in the Netherlands. Later, he played for big clubs like Inter Milan in Italy and Everton in England. His time at Everton was shorter than expected because of some challenges he faced.

Andy van der Meijde also played for the Netherlands national team from 2002 to 2004. He played 17 games for his country and scored one goal. He also represented the Netherlands at the UEFA Euro 2004 tournament.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Ajax

Andy van der Meijde was born in Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands. He joined Ajax as a young player. He made his first team debut when he was just 18 years old. This was on 12 November 1997, in a 1–0 win against Twente.

In 1999, to get more experience, he was loaned to Twente for one season. He played a lot of games there and helped the team finish sixth in the Eredivisie, which is the top Dutch football league.

In the 2001–02 season, Andy van der Meijde became a regular starter for Ajax. The team's coach, Ronald Koeman, helped him become a key player. He played as the main right-winger. That season was very successful for Ajax, as they won both the league and the cup (called "the double"). Andy scored five goals in the league that year.

In the 2002–03 season, he scored his career-best 11 goals. He played alongside other talented young players like Zlatan Ibrahimović and Wesley Sneijder. 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 he was 24, Andy van der Meijde moved to Inter Milan in Italy. Inter Milan paid about £4 million for him. In his first season, 2003–04, he played 14 games in Serie A, Italy's top league. He played a bit more in the next season.

On 17 September 2003, Andy scored an amazing goal against Arsenal. This was in a Champions League group stage match, which Inter won 3–0 away at Highbury.

Time at Everton

After leaving Inter Milan, many people thought Andy van der Meijde would go back to Ajax. Other clubs like Monaco and Tottenham Hotspur were also interested. But on 31 August 2005, he signed a contract with another Premier League team, Everton, for £2 million.

In his first game against rival team Liverpool (called the Merseyside derby) on 25 March 2006, he received a red card. This meant he had to leave the game.

Andy faced some challenges settling in at Everton. In July 2007, he played a full game in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, during pre-season training. He worked hard to get fit for the new season. However, he sometimes missed training sessions.

On 17 August 2007, Andy van der Meyde was suspended by the club. This was because he did not show up for training, which was a "breach of club discipline." He explained that he was going through a difficult personal time. His five-month-old daughter, Dolce, had been ill since birth and was not allowed to leave the hospital. Because of this, he did not play for the main team for over a year. He mostly played for the reserve team.

Andy returned to the first team on 7 December 2008. He played for five minutes in a home game against Aston Villa. The next month, he came on as a substitute in an FA Cup game against Liverpool. He made a great pass that led to the winning goal in the 118th minute. His contract with Everton ended in June 2009, and he left the club.

Later Career Years

After leaving Everton, Andy van der Meyde did not have a club for six months. In March 2010, he signed a short-term deal with PSV Eindhoven. He played his first game for them in a friendly match on 23 April, but he did not play in any official games during his time there.

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

International Career

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

On 19 May 2002, Andy van der Meyde played his first game for the Dutch national team. The coach, Dick Advocaat, gave him his debut against the United States. Andy 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, starting all of them. He also helped set up a goal for Ruud van Nistelrooy in a 1–1 draw against Germany in the group stage. However, he did not play in the semi-final match against Portugal.

After this tournament, Marco van Basten became the new national team manager. New young players like Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie also started to play well. Because of this, Andy van der Meyde was not called up to the national team again. He finished his international career with 17 games played for his country.

Personal Life

Andy van der Meyde has two daughters.

On 24 May 2014, Andy van der Meyde acted as a referee for the Lingerie World Cup. The Netherlands team won this event in their home country.

Career Statistics

Club

International

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	19 May 2002	CMGi Field, Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States	United States	1–0	2–0	Friendly

Honours

Ajax

• Eredivisie: 1997–98, 2001–02
• KNVB Cup: 1997–98, 1998–99, 2001–02
• Johan Cruijff Shield: 2002

Inter Milan

• Coppa Italia: 2004–05

See also

In Spanish: Andy van der Meyde para niños