Gregory van der Wiel facts for kids
Van der Wiel playing for the Netherlands at UEFA Euro 2012
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gregory Kurtley van der Wiel | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 3 February 1988 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Right-back | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| DCG | ||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2002 | Ajax | |||||||||||||||
| 2002–2005 | Haarlem | |||||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Ajax | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2012 | Ajax | 130 | (12) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2016 | Paris Saint-Germain | 89 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Fenerbahçe | 11 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Cagliari | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Toronto FC | 27 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 262 | (16) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Netherlands U19 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Netherlands U21 | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2015 | Netherlands | 46 | (0) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Gregory Kurtley van der Wiel (born 3 February 1988) is a Dutch former professional footballer. He played as a right-back, a defender who also helps with attacking.
Born in Amsterdam, Gregory van der Wiel grew up playing for the famous AFC Ajax youth system. In 2010, he won the prestigious Johan Cruijff Award for "Young Player of the Year" in the Netherlands. He also played for big clubs like Paris Saint-Germain in France, Fenerbahçe in Turkey, Cagliari in Italy, and Toronto FC in North America.
Van der Wiel first played for the Netherlands national team in February 2009. He was part of the team that finished second at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. His Dutch teammate John Heitinga even called him the next Michael Reiziger, another famous Dutch right-back.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Ajax
Gregory van der Wiel began his football journey at a local club called RKSV DCG in Amsterdam. When he was just seven years old, the famous AFC Ajax team noticed his talent and invited him to their youth academy.
In 2002, Ajax sent him to HFC Haarlem because he was having some attitude problems. Gregory later said this time helped him realize how much he appreciated the good organization at Ajax. He learned to be more independent.
In 2005, Ajax asked him to come back to their academy. This time, he did much better and signed his first professional contract in July 2006. He even became the captain of the Jong Ajax youth team.
Gregory made his professional debut for Ajax on 11 March 2007, in a 4–1 win against Twente. He played three more matches that season. After the season, he signed a new contract to stay with Ajax until 2011.
Winning with Ajax
At the start of the 2007–08 season, Gregory van der Wiel helped Ajax win his first trophy, the Johan Cruyff Shield, by beating PSV 1–0. However, a knee injury kept him out for most of that season.
In the 2008–09 season, Gregory recovered from his injury and became the main right-back for Ajax. He even played in midfield sometimes when the team needed him. His great performances led him to sign another contract extension until 2013. He scored his first goal for Ajax on 1 March 2009, in a 2–0 win against Utrecht. For his efforts, he was named AFC Ajax's Talent of the Year.
For the 2009–10 season, Gregory changed his shirt number to 2. He scored four goals that season and helped his team keep many clean sheets (games without letting in a goal). He also played a key role when Ajax won the 2009–10 KNVB Cup (Dutch Cup) by beating Feyenoord 4–2. Because of his excellent play, he received the Johan Cruijff Award for "Young Player of the Year."
After the 2010 FIFA World Cup, there were talks about Gregory moving to Bayern Munich, but Ajax couldn't agree on a deal. He continued to play well for Ajax under new manager Frank de Boer. He helped Ajax win the Eredivisie (Dutch league) in both the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons.
Before the 2012–13 season, Gregory made it clear he wanted to leave Ajax. His last game for the club was a 5–0 win over NAC Breda on 25 August 2012. Soon after, Ajax agreed to sell him to Paris Saint-Germain in France.
Moving to Paris Saint-Germain
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On 1 September 2012, Gregory van der Wiel joined Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for about €6 million. He signed a four-year contract and was given the number 23 shirt.
He made his PSG debut on 22 September 2012, in a 4–0 win against Bastia. In his first season, he often came on as a substitute for the team's captain, Christophe Jallet. Gregory scored his first goal for PSG in a 4–0 away win against Toulouse. On 12 May 2013, PSG won the 2013–14 Ligue 1 title, their third national championship.
In the 2013–14 season, Gregory competed with Christophe Jallet for the right-back spot. He became a regular starter and was even included in the L'Equipe Team of the Year for 2013.
During the 2014–15 season, Gregory helped PSG win the domestic treble: the Ligue 1 (league), the Coupe de France (main cup), and the Coupe de la Ligue (league cup).
In the 2015–16 season, Gregory often found himself on the bench, as other players like Serge Aurier and Marquinhos also played at right-back. Despite this, he helped PSG win another domestic treble: the Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Coupe de la Ligue.
On 15 May 2016, it was announced that Gregory would leave PSG when his contract ended, as he felt it was time for a new challenge.
Later Career Teams
After leaving PSG, Gregory van der Wiel joined Turkish team Fenerbahçe in July 2016. He signed a three-year contract. He made his debut for Fenerbahçe on 27 July 2016, in a Champions League qualifying match. He played 12 league games for Fenerbahçe before leaving.
On 25 August 2017, Gregory moved to Italian club Cagliari. He was the first Dutch player to sign for the club. He made his debut on 15 October but struggled to get much playing time due to injuries. He made only six appearances for Cagliari.
On 1 February 2018, Gregory signed with Major League Soccer (MLS) club Toronto FC in Canada. He quickly became a regular starter for the team. He played in the CONCACAF Champions League Final against Chivas Guadalajara, where Toronto lost in a penalty shootout. Gregory played in several positions for Toronto FC, including centre-back and left-back, but mostly as a right-back. On 22 March 2019, he left the club by agreement.
In August 2020, Gregory began training with Dutch club RKC Waalwijk, hoping to continue his football career after being a free agent for a year.
International Career
Youth Teams
Gregory van der Wiel played for the Netherlands under-19 and under-21 national teams. He even played in the 2007 Toulon Tournament.
Senior Team Debut
On 6 February 2009, Gregory was called up to the senior Dutch team for the first time. He made his debut on 11 February as a substitute in a friendly match against Tunisia. He made his first start in a competitive game on 28 March 2009, in a 3–0 win over Scotland during 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification.
Twitter Incident
In October 2009, Gregory had a small issue when he couldn't travel with the Dutch team for a friendly match because of a concussion. However, he later posted a picture of himself at a Lil Wayne concert on Twitter. Some people, including the Dutch coach, were surprised. But his club manager defended him, saying it was blown out of proportion. The national coach later forgave him.
2010 FIFA World Cup
Gregory was a key player in the Netherlands' 2010 World Cup qualification campaign. He was chosen for the 23-man squad for the tournament in South Africa.
He started in the first two matches, helping the Netherlands win against Denmark and Japan. He returned to the starting lineup for the match against Slovakia in the Round of 16.
Gregory also started in the quarter-final against Brazil, which the Dutch won 2–1. However, he missed the semi-final due to getting too many yellow cards.
He returned for the final against Spain, playing all 120 minutes. The Netherlands lost 1–0 after a late goal in extra time. Gregory later said he felt honored to have played in the World Cup final, calling it a dream come true.
Euro 2012
Gregory was the first-choice right-back for the Netherlands during their UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group E matches. He helped set up goals in wins against San Marino and Hungary. In May 2012, he was named to the squad for UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. However, his performances at the tournament received some criticism.
Later International Appearances
After Euro 2012, Gregory played less often for the Dutch national team. He was recalled in November 2013 and played his first match since Euro 2012 in a 0–0 draw against Colombia. Due to injuries, he was not included in the squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Playing Style
Gregory van der Wiel was known as a versatile defender. He usually played as an attacking right-back or wing-back. He was good at making fast runs down the side of the field. He also had strong defensive skills, was good with the ball, and could pass well. He could even play as a wide midfielder or a centre-back.
Personal Life
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Gregory van der Wiel was born in Amsterdam. His father is from Curaçao (a Dutch island in the Caribbean), and his mother is Dutch. He has three younger sisters. He has many tattoos, including quotes, his mother's name, and his sisters' initials. He enjoys hip hop music.
In November 2009, Gregory donated money to help his former youth club, HFC Haarlem, which was facing financial problems. In 2010, the Johan Cruyff Foundation created a special football court called a "Cruyff Court" in his name in Curaçao, where his family is from.
In 2015, Gregory was a victim of a robbery at his apartment. In 2017, he also revealed he was a victim of a scam where he lost a large sum of money. He later spoke about this, saying he learned a lesson about investing wisely.
Gregory lived with his girlfriend, Belgian model Rose Bertram, and their daughter, Naleya Rose, was born in 2018. In November 2020, Gregory van der Wiel openly spoke about mental health, sharing that he had been dealing with panic attacks and anxiety for over a year.
Honours
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2010–11, 2011–12
- KNVB Cup: 2006–07, 2009–10
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2007
Paris Saint-Germain
- Ligue 1: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Coupe de France: 2014–15, 2015–16
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16
- Trophée des Champions: 2013, 2014, 2015
Toronto FC
- Canadian Championship: 2018
- CONCACAF Champions League runner-up: 2018
Netherlands
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2010
Individual
- Johan Cruyff Trophy: 2009–10
- Ajax Talent of the Year (Marco van Basten Award): 2008–09
Images for kids
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Van der Wiel playing for the Netherlands at Euro 2012
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Van der Wiel in 2007
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Van der Wiel playing for Ajax in the Champions League in August 2010
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Van der Wiel (second from top right) with Ajax teammates in 2010
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Van der Wiel booked during a 1–1 draw against Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League match
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Van der Wiel with Dutch fans
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Van der Wiel (second from left) with (from left to right) Mark van Bommel, Demy de Zeeuw and Giovanni van Bronckhorst
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Van der Wiel and Michael Krohn-Dehli at Euro 2012
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Van der Wiel signing autographs along with Luuk de Jong while on international duty
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Van der Wiel and his tattoos while playing for Paris Saint-Germain
See also
In Spanish: Gregory van der Wiel para niños
