Daniel Van Buyten facts for kids
Van Buyten in 2013
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Daniel Van Buyten | ||
| Date of birth | 7 February 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Chimay, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.97 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1986–1988 | JS Froidchapelle | ||
| 1988–1989 | JSG Lammetal | ||
| 1989–1991 | JS Froidchapelle | ||
| 1991–1993 | Olympic Charleroi | ||
| 1993–1994 | UBS Auvelais | ||
| 1994–1997 | FC Somzée | ||
| 1997–1998 | Charleroi | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1998–1999 | Charleroi | 19 | (1) |
| 1999–2001 | Standard Liège | 57 | (7) |
| 2001–2004 | Marseille | 76 | (12) |
| 2004 | → Manchester City (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2004–2006 | Hamburger SV | 61 | (7) |
| 2006–2014 | Bayern Munich | 158 | (20) |
| 2010–2011 | Bayern Munich II | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 378 | (47) | |
| National team | |||
| 2000 | Belgium U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 1999 | Belgium U21 | 6 | (1) |
| 2001–2014 | Belgium | 83 | (10) |
|
|||
Daniel Van Buyten (born February 7, 1978) is a former Belgian footballer. He played as a centre back, which is a defensive position. People often called him "Big Dan". He was known for his strong play and his great ability to head the ball.
He started his career at Charleroi as a striker. But he became famous after he changed to play as a centre back. He played for many top teams like Marseille, Manchester City, Hamburger SV, and Bayern Munich. Daniel Van Buyten also played for the Belgium national team for 13 years. He played in 83 international games and took part in two FIFA World Cups.
In 2013, Van Buyten became the first Belgian player to win the UEFA Champions League. He won it with Bayern Munich.
Contents
Club Career
Early Days in Football
Daniel Van Buyten joined Olympique de Marseille in the summer of 2001. Before that, he played for the Belgian team Standard Liège since 1999. After playing well for two and a half seasons, he moved to Manchester City in England. This was a short loan deal until the end of the 2004 season.
He did very well during his time at Manchester City. His manager praised him, especially for his game against Chelsea. But his manager, Kevin Keegan, thought that Van Buyten would join an even bigger club later.
After his loan ended, Van Buyten went back to Marseille. In June 2004, he signed a four-year deal with the German club Hamburger SV. He played 61 games for Hamburg in the top German league.
Playing for Bayern Munich
In June 2006, Bayern Munich announced that they had signed Daniel Van Buyten from Hamburg. He signed a contract until the 2010 season. He had a very good first season at Bayern. He formed a strong partnership with another defender, Lúcio.
Van Buyten scored his first goal for Bayern on December 9, 2006. It was the winning goal in a 2–1 victory against Energie Cottbus. He scored his second goal on January 26, 2007, but Bayern lost that game.
One of his most important moments in his first season was against Milan. This was in the Champions League quarter-final on April 3, 2007. Van Buyten scored two goals away from home. These goals helped Bayern Munich get an advantage in the match. He scored both goals with his left foot.
On February 4, 2010, Bayern Munich announced that Van Buyten signed a new contract until 2012. In the 2010–11 season, he often started games from the bench. But he got his starting spot back near the end of the season. He scored a goal in an 8–1 win against FC St. Pauli on May 11, 2011.
On December 17, 2011, during a game, Van Buyten hit a free-kick so hard that the ball actually burst! On April 30, 2012, he signed another one-year contract with Bayern Munich.
Even though a new defender named Dante joined in 2012, Van Buyten became a key player for Bayern in the 2012–13 season. He was part of a group of three defenders who rotated in the center. On April 6, 2013, Bayern won the Bundesliga championship. This was Van Buyten's third league title with the club.
He played the whole game when Bayern beat Barcelona 3–0 in the Champions League semi-final. This win meant Bayern reached the final against Borussia Dortmund. Van Buyten was the first Belgian player to play in a Champions League final.
After this, Van Buyten signed another one-year contract with Bayern Munich. He played under manager Pep Guardiola. Even though he scored against Werder Bremen, his contract was not renewed after the season. This meant he could join any other club for free. The Belgian club Anderlecht offered him a contract in August 2014. But he said no, deciding to retire from playing football.
International Career
Van Buyten was first called to play for the Belgium national team in 2001. His first game was on February 28, 2001, against San Marino. Belgium won that game 10–1 in a World Cup qualifying match. He scored his first goal for Belgium in his second game. It was an equalizing goal in a 2–2 draw against Scotland.
Because he played well for Marseille, he was chosen for the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. He played in all of Belgium's games. Belgium drew with Japan and Tunisia, then beat Russia to move to the knockout stage. In the next round, Belgium played against Brazil, who were four-time champions. Even though Belgium played well, Brazil won 2–0. Brazil then went on to win the World Cup.
After the 2002 World Cup, people had high hopes for Belgium in the Euro 2004 qualifiers. Van Buyten played in all eight qualifying games. But Belgium did not make it to the final tournament.
.jpg)
On February 11, 2009, he scored two goals for Belgium in a friendly match against Slovenia. Seven months later, on September 9, Van Buyten scored Belgium's only goal in a 2–1 loss to Armenia. This loss meant Belgium could not qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
For Euro 2012 qualification, Van Buyten scored two goals against Turkey on September 7, 2010. But Belgium still lost that game 3–2.
Van Buyten was also an important player for Belgium in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. He played in five games as Belgium reached their first major tournament in 12 years.
On May 13, 2014, Van Buyten was named in Belgium's team for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He was the only player in the team who had played in a World Cup before. At 36 years old, he played every minute of every game until Belgium lost to Argentina in the quarter-finals.
Personal Life
Daniel Van Buyten's father, Franz, was a well-known Belgian wrestler from 1960 to 1980. His mother, Renate, is German.
Honours
Club
Hamburger SV
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2005
Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14
- DFB-Pokal: 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14
- DFB-Ligapokal: 2007
- DFL-Supercup: 2010, 2012
- UEFA Champions League: 2012–13
- UEFA Super Cup: 2013
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2013
International
Belgium
- FIFA Fair Play Trophy: 2002 World Cup
Individual
- UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2002–03
- ESM Team of the Year: 2002–03
- Belgian Sports Merit Award: 2014
Officer in the Walloon Order of Merit: 2014
See also
In Spanish: Daniel van Buyten para niños
