Jerzy Dudek facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jerzy Dudek

Dudek in 2007
Personal information
Date of birth	(1973-03-23) 23 March 1973 (age 52)
Place of birth	Rybnik, Poland
Height	1.88 m
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1985–1991	Górnik Knurów
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1991–1995	Concordia Knurów	119	(0)
1995–1996	Sokół Tychy	15	(0)
1996–2001	Feyenoord	139	(0)
2001–2007	Liverpool	127	(0)
2007–2011	Real Madrid	2	(0)
Total		402	(0)
National team
1998–2013	Poland	60	(0)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Jerzy Henryk Dudek (born March 23, 1973) is a famous Polish former football player. He was a goalkeeper.

Jerzy Dudek started his career in Poland. Later, he played successfully in the Netherlands and England. He won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005. He played 186 official games for Liverpool over six seasons. He also spent four years playing for Real Madrid.

Dudek played 60 games for the Polish national team. For many years, he was the second most-capped (played the most games for his country) goalkeeper for Poland. He also played for Poland in the 2002 World Cup.

Playing for Clubs

Starting Out in Poland

Jerzy Dudek was born in Rybnik, Poland. He started playing football at age 12 for Górnik Knurów. Six years later, he played his first senior game for Concordia in the third division. There, he set a record by not letting in a goal for 416 minutes!

Dudek only played one season in the Ekstraklasa, which is Poland's top league. He played about half of the games for Sokół Tychy.

Playing for Feyenoord

In 1996, when he was 23, Dudek left Poland to join Feyenoord in the Netherlands. He had to wait a year before playing his first game. After that, he played in all the Eredivisie (Dutch league) matches for the next four seasons.

He helped Feyenoord win the national championship in 1998–99. They also won the Johan Cruyff Shield (a super cup) in 1999, beating Ajax 3–2.

In 2000, Dudek won the Dutch Golden Shoe award. He was the first foreign player to win this award. In the same year, he was also named Polish Footballer of the Year.

On August 26, 2001, Dudek played his last game for Feyenoord. They lost 2–1 at home to Ajax.

Time with Liverpool

Dudek before a game against Manchester City in 2007

Jerzy Dudek joined Liverpool in England in August 2001. He quickly became the main goalkeeper for coach Gérard Houllier. In his first season, he kept many clean sheets (games without letting in a goal). His great performances helped Liverpool finish second in the Premier League. He was even nominated for the UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year award.

In the next season, Dudek made some mistakes in the league. But he bounced back and helped Liverpool win the League Cup. He was named player of the match in the final against Manchester United.

In 2004, Pope John Paul II met Dudek. The Pope, who used to be a goalkeeper himself, told Dudek he was a fan of his and followed Liverpool's games. Dudek gave the Pope a souvenir goalkeeper shirt. Later, Dudek dedicated Liverpool's UEFA Champions League win in 2005 to the Pope.

Dudek was a key player in Liverpool's amazing Champions League win in 2005. In the final against AC Milan, Liverpool was losing 3–0 but came back to tie the game 3–3. At the end of extra time, Dudek made an incredible double save against Andriy Shevchenko. In the penalty shootout, which Liverpool won 3–2, Dudek saved shots from Andrea Pirlo and Shevchenko. He used a trick called "spaghetti legs" to try and distract the opposing players. This trick was used by former Liverpool goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar in the 1984 European Cup final.

Because Liverpool won the European Cup for the fifth time, they got to keep the trophy. Dudek became the third Polish footballer to win the Champions League. He was also nominated for Goalkeeper of the Year again. Some Liverpool fans even recorded a song called "Du the Dudek," which became a top-40 hit in the UK!

In 2005–06, Dudek lost his starting spot to a new goalkeeper, Pepe Reina, after an arm injury. He only played 12 games for Liverpool in the next two seasons. Even though he had some disagreements with manager Rafael Benítez, he said he had no bad feelings towards the club. He stayed for another year at the manager's request. Fans voted him number 36 in the list of "100 Players Who Shook the Kop" (meaning 100 players who made a big impact on Liverpool).

Later, a poll by UEFA.com voted Dudek's double save against Shevchenko as the greatest Champions League moment ever!

Playing for Real Madrid

Dudek playing for Real Madrid against Almería in 2011

In 2007, 34-year-old Dudek moved to Real Madrid in Spain. He only played in two La Liga (Spanish league) games in four years because Iker Casillas was the main goalkeeper. However, his great attitude and hard work were praised by fans, teammates, and coaches. In his first game, he was named man of the match.

In December 2008, Dudek got a rare start in a Champions League game against Zenit Saint Petersburg. Real Madrid had already qualified, but Dudek played very well, making several saves and keeping a clean sheet. The manager, Juande Ramos, praised him, calling him a "magnificent player."

There were rumors that Dudek was unhappy at Real Madrid and might go back to Feyenoord. But he stayed and signed a new one-year deal. He said he was happy there.

On October 27, 2009, Dudek played his first game of the season in the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup). Real Madrid surprisingly lost 4–0 to a smaller team, Alcorcón. Dudek was one of the few players who played well in that game.

On April 10, 2010, after a plane crash killed 96 Polish people, including the President, Dudek asked for a minute of silence before the big El Clásico match between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Both teams agreed, and his teammates wore black armbands.

I had no choice but to fulfill an obligation, and asked the officials to give a minute of silence before the most important match of the season. After an hour I came to the club president Florentino Pérez and director Jorge Valdano and they told me not to worry, and that everything will then be honored. They said, "We know what happened. Sincerest condolences. We are with you."

On July 15, 2010, Dudek signed another one-year contract with Real Madrid. On November 30, he was fined for his part in a controversial incident where teammates Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos were sent off in a Champions League game.

Dudek made his first start of the 2010–11 season in a Champions League game against Auxerre on December 8. He made two impressive saves but had to leave the game before half-time because of a jaw injury. He recovered and was praised for his performance.

Dudek was a substitute in the 2011 Spanish Cup final, which Real Madrid won 1–0 against Barcelona. He played his final game for Real Madrid on May 21, 2011. It was an 8–1 win against Almería. He was substituted in the 77th minute and received a special farewell from his teammates.

Playing for Poland

Dudek in 2006

Dudek was first called up to the Polish national team in 1996. He played his first game in February 1998 in a friendly match. He also captained the team once in a friendly game.

Dudek played in nine of Poland's ten qualifying games for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Poland finished first in their group and Dudek played in the World Cup finals in Japan and South Korea. Poland did not get past the group stage.

He also played in seven of Poland's ten qualifying matches for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. However, because he wasn't playing much for his club team, he was not chosen for the final World Cup squad. This decision shocked many Polish fans and media. During a warm-up game, fans even chanted Dudek's name to show their disappointment.

After the World Cup, Dudek returned to the national team for two games but was then dropped again. He believed he would return to the national team, and in September 2009, he was called up for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. He played his 59th game for Poland on October 14, 2009.

Almost four years later, Dudek played his farewell game on June 4, 2013, against Liechtenstein. He became the oldest player ever to play for the Polish national team at 40 years and 73 days old. He captained the team and wore number 60 on his shirt. He came off the field just before half-time.

Being an Ambassador

Jerzy Dudek is a very popular figure in Poland. His status helped Poland become a joint host nation for the Euro 2012 football tournament. He was part of the team that presented the bid to host the event.

Dudek was also named the ambassador for the 2015 UEFA Europa League Final in Warsaw.

About His Life

Jerzy Dudek is married to Mirella. They have one son, Aleksander, and two daughters, Victoria and Natalia. His father was a miner, and Jerzy trained to follow in his footsteps before he got the chance to play football. His younger brother, Dariusz, was also a footballer.

Dudek did not want to wear the number 13 shirt for two seasons at Real Madrid. He said that Polish goalkeepers usually do not use 13. Instead, they use numbers like 1, 12, and 22. So, he chose number 25.

In 2005, Dudek was given the title of "honourable citizen" of Knurów, his hometown. This happened during a charity football match. He also worked as a TV analyst for a football final in 2005. In 2006, his home was burgled, and many valuable items and football souvenirs were stolen. Luckily, the police helped recover most of his stolen items.

Dudek has said he would like to start a football academy in Poland with his brother after he retired from playing. He lives with his family in Kraków.

Motor Racing Career

After his football career, Dudek started a new hobby: motor racing! In 2014, he finished his first full season in the Volkswagen Castrol Cup. This is a racing championship held in Eastern Europe during the summer.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances

International Appearances

Awards and Trophies

Feyenoord

• Eredivisie: 1998–99 (Dutch League Champions)
• Johan Cruyff Shield: 1999 (Dutch Super Cup)

Liverpool

• FA Cup: 2005–06
• Football League Cup: 2002–03; runner-up: 2004–05
• FA Community Shield: 2006; runner-up: 2002
• UEFA Champions League: 2004–05; runner-up: 2006–07
• FIFA Club World Championship runner-up: 2005

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2007–08 (Spanish League Champions)
• Copa del Rey: 2010–11 (Spanish Cup)
• Supercopa de España: 2008 (Spanish Super Cup)

Individual Awards

• Polish Footballer of the Year: 2000
• Dutch Golden Shoe: 2000
• Dutch Goalkeeper of the Year: 1998–99, 1999–2000
• Alan Hardaker Trophy: 2003 (Best player in the League Cup Final)

See also

In Spanish: Jerzy Dudek para niños

• List of foreign La Liga players