Dirk Kuyt facts for kids
.jpg)
Kuyt with Feyenoord in 2015
|
|||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 22 July 1980 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Katwijk, Netherlands | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward, right winger | ||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Beerschot (manager) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1985–1998 | Quick Boys | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2003 | Utrecht | 176 | (58) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | Feyenoord | 119 | (81) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2012 | Liverpool | 285 | (71) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | Fenerbahçe | 130 | (37) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Feyenoord | 77 | (38) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Quick Boys | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 790 | (285) | |||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | Netherlands U18 | 5 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | Netherlands U21 | 11 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2014 | Netherlands | 104 | (24) | ||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2020 | Feyenoord (U19) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | ADO Den Haag | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Beerschot | ||||||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
Dirk Kuijt (born 22 July 1980), often called Dirk Kuyt, is a Dutch former professional footballer. He is now the manager of the Pro League club Beerschot. Dirk started his career as a forward, but he often played as a right winger.
Kuyt began his professional journey with Utrecht in 1998. He played there for five years. In his last season, he won his first big trophy, the KNVB Cup, and was named the best player in the Dutch league. After this, he moved to Feyenoord for about €1 million. He became the team captain in 2005 and scored many goals. He was the top scorer for Feyenoord for three years in a row. He was also the top goalscorer in the Eredivisie league in the 2004–05 season and was named the Dutch Footballer of the Year in 2006. Kuyt was known for being very fit, playing in 179 games in a row between 2001 and 2006.
After three years at Feyenoord, where he scored 71 goals in 101 league games, he joined the English club Liverpool for £10 million. He scored a goal in the UEFA Champions League final in 2007, but Liverpool lost that game. He scored many important goals for Liverpool, including a hat-trick against Manchester United in 2011. His goal in extra time during the 2012 League Cup Final helped Liverpool win the trophy. This was his only trophy with Liverpool.
Kuyt played for the Netherlands national team from 2004 to 2014. He played in five major international tournaments. These included the 2006, 2010, and 2014 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championships.
Dirk Kuyt announced he was retiring from football in 2017. Just three days before, he had scored three goals in the last game of the season, helping Feyenoord win their first league title since 1999. He briefly returned to play for his old amateur club, Quick Boys, in 2018 to help them out.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Football
Dirk Kuyt was born in Katwijk, a fishing town in the Netherlands. He is the third of four children. His father was a fisherman, and Dirk has said that if he hadn't become a footballer, he would probably have followed his father into fishing.
Kuyt started playing football at age five for his local amateur team, Quick Boys. He joined their first team in March 1998. His talent quickly caught the eye of Eredivisie club Utrecht. Even after becoming a famous player, Kuyt often visited his hometown and his old club, Quick Boys.
Club Career Highlights
Utrecht: Early Success
Kuyt signed his first professional contract with Utrecht when he was 18. He quickly became a regular player. At first, he often played as a winger, but later, his coach, Foeke Booy, moved him to play as a striker. In the 2002–03 season, Kuyt scored 20 league goals.
Utrecht also reached the KNVB Cup final that year, playing against Feyenoord. Even though Utrecht was not expected to win, they won the cup 4–1. Kuyt scored one of the goals and was named the best player of the match. After this successful season, Kuyt moved to Feyenoord.
Feyenoord: Becoming a Star
At Feyenoord, Kuyt quickly became a fan favorite because he kept scoring goals. In his first season, he scored 20 league goals. In the 2004–05 season, he scored his first hat-trick (three goals in one game) against De Graafschap. He finished that season as the top scorer in the Eredivisie league with 29 goals, which was his personal best.
In 2005, Kuyt became the captain of Feyenoord. He had another great season, scoring 25 goals. He and his teammate Salomon Kalou formed a strong partnership, and fans called them "K2."
In 2006, many big English clubs wanted to sign Kuyt. He said he was happy at Feyenoord but wanted to play in the Premier League. On 18 August, he joined Liverpool. Kuyt was known for his amazing fitness, missing only five games in seven seasons and playing in 179 matches in a row.
Liverpool: Premier League Journey
When Kuyt joined Liverpool, he said he only wanted to leave Feyenoord for a "really big club," and Liverpool was exactly that. He made his debut for Liverpool in August 2006. He scored his first goal for the club against Newcastle United. Fans loved him quickly because of his hard work and how he always thanked the supporters after every game.
In 2007, Kuyt played a big part in Liverpool's success in the UEFA Champions League. He scored a goal in the final against Milan, but Liverpool lost the match.
Important Goals and Moments
In the 2007–08 season, Kuyt scored two penalty kicks against Everton in the local derby, helping Liverpool win 2–1. He also scored important goals in the Champions League against Internazionale, Arsenal, and Chelsea.
Kuyt often played as a right winger during this time, helping set up goals for his teammates. In the 2008–09 season, he scored 15 goals, which was his best goal tally for Liverpool. He became known as a "Big Game Player" because he often scored crucial goals in important matches, like a late winner against Manchester City.
In March 2011, Kuyt scored his first hat-trick for Liverpool in a 3–1 win against their big rivals, Manchester United. He also scored a goal in the 2012 League Cup final against Cardiff City, which Liverpool won after a penalty shoot-out. This was his only trophy with the club.
Fenerbahçe: New Country, New Success
In June 2012, Kuyt signed a three-year contract with the Turkish club Fenerbahçe. He scored his first goals for them in a Champions League qualifying match. He also scored in his first league game for the club. While at Fenerbahçe, he scored his 250th career goal, including his international goals.
Return to Feyenoord: A Champion's Farewell
In April 2015, Kuyt returned to his former club, Feyenoord. In the 2016–17 season, he led his team to win their first Eredivisie title since 1999. On the very last day of the season, he scored a hat-trick to secure the championship. Three days later, on 17 May, Dirk Kuyt announced his retirement from football. He briefly came out of retirement in April 2018 to help his first club, Quick Boys, who needed more strikers.
International Career with the Netherlands
Dirk Kuyt made his international debut for the Dutch national team in September 2004. He quickly became a regular player in the squad. He usually wore the number 7 jersey for his country.
World Cup and Euro Tournaments
Kuyt played in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, where he was sometimes a substitute but also started in some important games.
He was part of the Dutch squad for UEFA Euro 2008. In their first match, a 3–0 win over world champions Italy, he helped set up two goals. He also scored his team's second goal in a 4–1 victory over France.
Kuyt scored three goals during the qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In the tournament itself, he scored the Netherlands' second goal in their 2–0 win over Denmark. He also assisted two goals in the knockout stages, helping the Netherlands reach the final. He played in all seven matches as the Netherlands finished as runners-up to Spain.
He continued to play for the Netherlands in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifiers, scoring several goals. However, during the main tournament, he mostly came on as a substitute.
2014 World Cup and Retirement
For the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Kuyt was named vice-captain. He played his 100th international game in the round of 16 victory over Mexico. This made him only the seventh Dutch player to reach 100 matches. In this tournament, his coach, Louis van Gaal, used him in many different positions, including wing-back and centre forward.
In the quarter-final, Kuyt scored a penalty in the shoot-out win against Costa Rica. In the semi-final, he also scored a penalty, but the Netherlands lost the shoot-out to Argentina. His last international appearance was in the third-place play-off, where the Netherlands beat Brazil 3–0.
Dirk Kuyt retired from international football on 3 October 2014. He said he wanted to be important to the team, but the coach no longer had a role for him that he preferred. He looked back with great pride on his 10 wonderful years with the national team.
Managerial Career
After retiring as a player, Dirk Kuyt started his career as a football manager. On 2 June 2022, he became the head coach of ADO Den Haag. However, he was fired on 24 November 2022, after the team had some difficult results.
On 28 December 2023, Kuyt was appointed as the manager of the Belgian club Beerschot. In his first season in charge, he guided Beerschot to promotion to the top division of the Belgian Pro League and won the Challenger Pro League title in 2023–24.
Personal Life
Dirk Kuyt is known for his down-to-earth personality. He and his former wife, Gertrude, did a lot of charity work. They set up the Dirk Kuyt Foundation to help disadvantaged children in the Netherlands and other parts of the world. The foundation raises money by selling special DK-branded clothes.
Career statistics
Club
| Club performance | League | National Cup | League Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club | Season | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| Quick Boys | 1997–98 | Hoofdklasse Saturday A | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 3 | ||||
| Utrecht | 1998–99 | Eredivisie | 28 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 30 | 6 | |||
| 1999–2000 | Eredivisie | 32 | 6 | 4 | 4 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 36 | 10 | ||||
| 2000–01 | Eredivisie | 32 | 13 | 5 | 3 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 37 | 16 | ||||
| 2001–02 | Eredivisie | 34 | 7 | 3 | 3 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 41 | 11 | ||||
| 2002–03 | Eredivisie | 34 | 20 | 4 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | 40 | 23 | ||||
| Total | 160 | 51 | 18 | 13 | — | 6 | 2 | — | 184 | 66 | |||||
| Feyenoord | 2003–04 | Eredivisie | 34 | 20 | 2 | 1 | — | 4 | 1 | — | 40 | 22 | |||
| 2004–05 | Eredivisie | 34 | 29 | 3 | 4 | — | 7 | 3 | — | 44 | 36 | ||||
| 2005–06 | Eredivisie | 33 | 22 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 38 | 25 | |||
| Total | 101 | 71 | 6 | 5 | — | 13 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 122 | 83 | ||||
| Liverpool | 2006–07 | Premier League | 34 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | — | 48 | 14 | ||
| 2007–08 | Premier League | 32 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 7 | — | 48 | 11 | |||
| 2008–09 | Premier League | 38 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | — | 51 | 15 | |||
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 37 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | — | 53 | 11 | |||
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 33 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | — | 41 | 15 | |||
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 34 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 44 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 208 | 51 | 16 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 54 | 15 | — | 285 | 71 | ||||
| Fenerbahçe | 2012–13 | Süper Lig | 31 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 7 | — | 56 | 17 | ||
| 2013–14 | Süper Lig | 32 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 37 | 10 | |||
| 2014–15 | Süper Lig | 32 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 10 | ||||
| Total | 95 | 26 | 11 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 21 | 7 | — | 130 | 37 | ||||
| Feyenoord | 2015–16 | Eredivisie | 32 | 19 | 6 | 4 | — | — | — | 38 | 23 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Eredivisie | 31 | 12 | 2 | 3 | — | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 15 | |||
| Total | 63 | 31 | 8 | 7 | — | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 77 | 38 | ||||
| Quick Boys | 2017–18 | Derde Divisie Saturday | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Career total | 636 | 233 | 59 | 31 | 11 | 3 | 99 | 29 | 3 | 2 | 807 | 298 | |||
International
- Source:
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Netherlands | 2004 | 5 | 1 |
| 2005 | 10 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2007 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2008 | 13 | 3 | |
| 2009 | 11 | 4 | |
| 2010 | 14 | 4 | |
| 2011 | 11 | 7 | |
| 2012 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 104 | 24 |
International goals
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9 October 2004 | Skopje City Stadium, Skopje, Macedonia |  Macedonia |
1–2 | 2–2 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2. | 4 June 2005 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Romania |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3. | 8 June 2005 | Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland |  Finland |
2–0 | 4–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 4. | 1 March 2006 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands |  Ecuador |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 5. | 6 September 2006 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands |  Belarus |
3–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying |
| 6. | 22 August 2007 | Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland |  Switzerland |
1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 7. | 24 May 2008 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Ukraine |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 8. | 13 June 2008 | Stade de Suisse, Bern, Switzerland |  France |
1–0 | 4–1 | UEFA Euro 2008 |
| 9. | 19 November 2008 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands |  Sweden |
3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 10. | 28 March 2009 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands |  Scotland |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11. | 1 April 2009 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands | Macedonia |
1–0 | 4–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12. | 3–0 | |||||
| 13. | 12 August 2009 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands |  England |
1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 14. | 3 March 2010 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands |  United States |
1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 15. | 1 June 2010 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands |  Ghana |
1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 16. | 14 June 2010 | Soccer City, Johannesburg, South Africa |  Denmark |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup |
| 17. | 3 September 2010 | Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino |  San Marino |
1–0 | 5–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 18. | 9 February 2011 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands |  Austria |
3–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 19. | 25 March 2011 | Ferenc Puskás Stadium, Budapest, Hungary |  Hungary |
3–0 | 4–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 20. | 29 March 2011 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands | Hungary |
4–3 | 5–3 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 21. | 5–3 | |||||
| 22. | 8 June 2011 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay |  Uruguay |
1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 23. | 2 September 2011 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands |  San Marino |
4–0 | 11–0 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
| 24. | 11 October 2011 | Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden | Sweden |
2–0 | 2–3 | UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying |
Managerial
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | Ref. | |||
| ADO Den Haag | 2 June 2022 | 24 November 2022 | 17 | 5 | 4 | 8 | 22 | 28 | −6 | 29.41 | |
| Beerschot | 28 December 2023 | present | 39 | 10 | 11 | 18 | 45 | 65 | −20 | 25.64 | |
| Total | 56 | 15 | 15 | 26 | 67 | 93 | −26 | 26.79 | — | ||
Honours
Player
Utrecht
- KNVB Cup: 2002–03
Liverpool
- Football League Cup: 2011–12
- FA Cup runner-up: 2011–12
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2006–07
Fenerbahçe
- Süper Lig: 2013–14
- Turkish Cup: 2012–13
- Turkish Super Cup: 2014
Feyenoord
- Eredivisie: 2016–17
- KNVB Cup: 2015–16
Netherlands
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010; third place: 2014
Individual
- Dutch Golden Shoe: 2003, 2006
- Eredivisie Top Scorer: 2005
- Dutch Footballer of the Year: 2006
Manager
Beerschot
- Challenger Pro League: 2023–24
Images for kids
-
Kuyt with Liverpool in 2009
-
Kuyt during pre-season training
-
Kuyt playing for Liverpool against Bolton in 2011
.jpg){kind=small}
See also
In Spanish: Dirk Kuyt para niños
- List of footballers with 100 or more caps
