Edgar Davids facts for kids

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Edgar Davids

Davids in 2007

Personal information

Full name

Edgar Steven Davids

Date of birth

13 March 1973 (age 52)

Place of birth

Paramaribo, Suriname

Height

1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)

Position(s)

Midfielder

Youth career

1985–1991

Ajax

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps

(Gls)

1991–1996

Ajax

106

(20)

1996–1997

AC Milan

(1)

1997–2004

Juventus

159

(9)

2004

→ Barcelona (loan)

(1)

2004–2005

Inter Milan

(0)

2005–2007

Tottenham Hotspur

(1)

2007–2009

Ajax

(1)

2010

Crystal Palace

(0)

2012–2014

Barnet

(1)

Total

423

(34)

International career

1992–1994

Netherlands U-21

(1)

1994–2005

Netherlands

(6)

Managerial career

2012–2014

Barnet

2021

Olhanense

Medal record


Representing Netherlands
UEFA European Championship
Bronze	2000
Bronze	2004

*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Edgar Steven Davids (born March 13, 1973) is a famous Dutch former football player. People called him "The Pitbull" because he was a tough and energetic player who was great at winning the ball.

He started his career at Ajax in the Netherlands. There, he won many national and international titles. Later, he played for big clubs like AC Milan and Juventus in Italy. He also had a loan spell at Barcelona in Spain.

After that, he played for Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur. He then returned to Ajax for a second time. Davids later played for Crystal Palace before he stopped playing at age 37. In 2012, he became a player-manager for the English club Barnet. He left that role in 2014.

Davids played 74 times for the Netherlands national team. He scored six goals for his country. He played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and three European Championships (1996, 2000, and 2004).

Edgar Davids was easy to spot on the field. He had dreadlocked hair and wore special protective goggles. He needed the goggles because of an eye condition called glaucoma. He was a strong and creative midfielder. In 2004, the legendary player Pelé chose Davids for his FIFA 100 list. This list named the world's greatest living footballers.

Early Life and Family

Edgar Steven Davids was born on March 13, 1973. His birthplace was Paramaribo, Suriname. His family moved to the Netherlands when he was a baby. He has Afro-Surinamese roots and also some Jewish heritage from his mother's side. His cousin, Lorenzo Davids, is also a football player.

Club Career Highlights

Starting at Ajax

Davids began his football journey at Ajax when he was 12 years old. He had been turned down by the club twice before. His first game for the senior team was on September 6, 1991. Ajax won that game 5–1 against RKC Waalwijk.

He helped Ajax win three Eredivisie titles, which are Dutch championships. He also helped them win big European trophies. These included the UEFA Cup in 1992 and the Champions League in 1995. In the 1996 Champions League final, Ajax lost to Juventus in a penalty shootout. Davids missed Ajax's first penalty in that shootout. While at Ajax, his manager Louis van Gaal called him "The Pitbull". This was because of his strong and fierce way of playing in midfield.

Moving to Italy: AC Milan and Juventus

Juventus' Davids playing against AC Milan's Gennaro Gattuso in the Champions League final in 2003.

In 1996, Davids moved to Italy to play for AC Milan. He joined them for free. His time at Milan was difficult, and he broke his leg in February 1997. After not being able to get his place back in the team, he moved to Juventus in December 1997.

At Juventus, he quickly became a key player in the midfield. He often played as a defensive midfielder. He formed a great partnership with the French player Zinedine Zidane. Many experts thought he was one of the best new players that season. His manager, Marcello Lippi, said Davids' new role was very important for the team.

Davids had six successful years in Turin with Juventus. He helped them win the Serie A title three times: in 1998, 2002, and 2003. They also won two Supercoppa Italiana trophies and the UEFA Intertoto Cup. Lippi once called him "my one-man engine room" because of his energy.

Davids also played very well in European competitions. He helped Juventus reach the Champions League final in 2003. They lost that final to AC Milan on penalties. He had also reached the Champions League final with Juventus in 1998.

Loan to Barcelona

In January 2004, Davids joined Barcelona on loan. Barcelona was struggling in the league at the time. Davids' arrival helped the team a lot. He helped Barcelona improve their form and finish second in La Liga. Many people say Davids' arrival was the reason Barcelona became so strong in Spanish and European football in the years that followed. Barcelona won the league the next season and then won both the league and the Champions League in 2005–06.

Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur

In the summer of 2004, Davids moved to another Italian club, Inter Milan. He stayed there for one season. In August 2005, he moved to England to play for Tottenham Hotspur for free. He was very popular with the fans at Tottenham. He scored one goal for them in a 2–1 win against Wigan Athletic. Davids played for Tottenham in the 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons. The club finished fifth in the league both times.

Return to Ajax

Davids with Ajax team manager David Endt during his second time at Ajax.

Davids signed with Ajax again on January 28, 2007. His first game back was against their rivals Feyenoord on February 4. He showed his value to the Ajax team right away. He was a key midfielder as Ajax tried to win the Dutch championship. They lost the title to PSV by just one goal on the last day. He also helped Ajax win the KNVB Cup. He scored the winning penalty in a thrilling shootout against AZ.

Before the 2007–08 season, Davids broke his leg in a friendly game. This kept him out of action for about three months. In May 2008, Davids announced he would leave Ajax when his contract ended.

Crystal Palace

On August 20, 2010, Davids joined the English club Crystal Palace. He made his first appearance on August 24, 2010. On November 8, 2010, he announced he was leaving the club. He said it was "one of the greatest experiences of my life."

International Career for the Netherlands

Davids (wearing No.8) in the Dutch wall, facing a free kick against Sweden at Euro 2004.

Davids played his first game for the Netherlands national team on April 20, 1994. He quickly became an important part of the team for the next ten years. However, he did not win any major tournaments with the national team.

During UEFA Euro 1996, he was sent home by the manager Guus Hiddink. This happened after Davids made a critical comment in a radio interview.

Despite this, Hiddink still valued Davids. He included him in the Dutch team for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. Davids played his best game for the national team in the second round against FR Yugoslavia. He scored the winning goal in the last minute of the game. This sent the Dutch team to the next round to play Argentina. The Netherlands finished fourth overall in the tournament. Davids was chosen for the official FIFA "Team of the Tournament."

In 1999, Davids started wearing protective glasses. He had surgery on his right eye because of glaucoma. He first wore them in a friendly match against Belgium on September 4, 1999.

Davids also played in Euro 2000. The Netherlands reached the semi-finals but lost to Italy in a penalty shootout. Davids was again named to the "Team of the Tournament."

After Euro 2004, the new national team coach Marco van Basten made Davids the team captain. But Davids lost his place in the national team in October 2004. This was because he wasn't playing much for his club, Inter Milan. The captain's armband then went to goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar. In October 2005, Davids was called back to the national team. However, he was not the captain. He soon left the team again and missed the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

How Edgar Davids Played

Edgar Davids was a fast, hard-working, and determined player. He was very strong and had great energy, even though he wasn't very tall. Davids was known for his energetic and tough style of play. He was excellent at marking opponents and stopping their attacks as a defensive midfielder.

He was a complete midfielder. Besides winning the ball, Davids was also very talented and creative. He was known for his amazing technique, vision, and quick footwork. He was also good at ball-juggling. His skills in street soccer earned him the nickname "The Mayor of the Street" when he was young.

Davids could shoot powerfully and pass accurately with his left foot. This helped him create chances for his teammates. He was smart about where he positioned himself on the field. His speed, energy, and dribbling allowed him to start quick attacks. He could also carry the ball forward and help his team's offense. Because he was so good at many things, he could play in different midfield positions. He played as a left midfielder, a central or box-to-box midfielder, or even a left back. When he was younger, he sometimes played as an attacking midfielder or a second striker.

Many people consider him one of the best midfielders of his time. Davids was known for his strong personality and sometimes his temper. This sometimes led to disagreements with his managers. He also had to deal with injuries throughout his career. Because of his aggressive and tough playing style, he had several nicknames. These included "The Piranha," "Tubarão" (The Shark), and most famously, "The Pitbull." His Juventus manager Lippi called him his "one-man engine room."

Media Appearances

Davids appeared in commercials for the sports company Nike. In 1996, he was in a Nike commercial called "Good vs Evil." It showed a football game like a gladiator fight. He played alongside famous footballers like Ronaldo and Eric Cantona. They defended "the beautiful game" against a team of evil warriors.

He also starred in another Nike ad campaign before the 2002 World Cup. This commercial was called "Secret Tournament" and was directed by Terry Gilliam. Davids appeared with other stars like Thierry Henry and Ronaldinho.

Davids is also in EA Sports' FIFA video game series. He was on the cover of FIFA Football 2003 with Manchester United player Ryan Giggs and Roberto Carlos. The online game League of Legends used Davids' look for a character skin. Davids sued them, and a Dutch court ruled that the game company must pay him money from the earnings of that skin.

Coaching Career

Ajax

In June 2011, Davids was chosen to be on the new supervisory board at Ajax. He worked alongside Johan Cruyff.

Barnet

Davids playing for Barnet in 2013.

Since 2010, Davids had been living in North London. He played street football and managed an amateur team called Brixton United. On October 11, 2012, Davids joined League Two club Barnet. He took on a player-manager role with Mark Robson. In his first game as manager, Barnet lost 4–1. Davids did not play in that match. In the next game, a 4–0 win, Davids played the whole match and was named Man of the Match. In December 2012, Robson left, and Davids took full charge of the club. Davids scored his first goal for Barnet in February 2013.

In March 2013, after a game, Davids sent the team bus back to pick up 36 fans whose bus had broken down. He took them to the next service station.

Barnet was struggling in League Two. Davids helped them move out of the relegation zone for a while. However, on the last day of the 2012–13 season, Barnet lost and was relegated from the Football League. On May 21, 2013, it was announced that Davids would stay as manager for the 2013–14 season. In July 2013, Davids decided to wear the number 1 shirt for the season. This number is usually worn by goalkeepers. He said he wanted to "set a trend" for midfielders to wear number 1.

Davids had some problems with discipline during the 2013–14 season. He received a yellow card in his first eight league games. He was also sent off (given a red card) in three of those games. There was also some discussion because he would not attend away games that needed an overnight stay. His assistant manager, Ulrich Landvreugd, would take charge instead. In December 2013, Davids thought about stopping football after being sent off for the third time.

Davids resigned from his manager role on January 18, 2014.

Telstar

In 2020, Davids became an assistant coach for the Dutch club Telstar.

Olhanense

On January 4, 2021, Davids was announced as the head coach of the Portuguese team, Olhanense. He was removed from his position on July 19, 2021.

Personal Life

Davids was engaged to fashion designer Olcay Gulsen. In 1999, Davids started his own Street Soccer brand called Monta Street.

He won a lawsuit against the game developer Riot Games. They had used his image for a character skin in their game League of Legends without his permission.

Honours and Achievements

Ajax

Eredivisie: 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96
KNVB Cup: 1992–93, 2006–07
Johan Cruyff Shield: 1995
UEFA Champions League: 1994–95
UEFA Cup: 1991–92
UEFA Super Cup: 1995
Intercontinental Cup: 1995

Juventus

Serie A: 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03
Supercoppa Italiana: 2003
UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999

Inter Milan

Coppa Italia: 2004–05

Netherlands

FIFA World Cup fourth place: 1998
UEFA European Championship third place: 2000, 2004

Individual Awards

KNVB Cup Golden Boot: 1992–93
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1998
UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2000
FIFA 100 (chosen by Pelé as one of the greatest living footballers)

Images for kids

Davids in 2007
Juventus' Davids playing against AC Milan's Gennaro Gattuso in the Champions League final in 2003.
Davids with Ajax team manager David Endt during his second time at Ajax.
Davids (wearing No.8) in the Dutch wall, facing a free kick against Sweden at Euro 2004.
Davids playing for Barnet in 2013.