Romeo Castelen facts for kids
Castelen in training with Feyenoord in 2007
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Romeo Erwan Marius Castelen | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 3 May 1983 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Paramaribo, Suriname | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Winger | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1997 | De Volewijckers | |||||||||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Sparta Rotterdam | |||||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | ADO Den Haag | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | ADO Den Haag | 83 | (20) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Feyenoord | 65 | (20) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2012 | Hamburger SV | 17 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Hamburger SV II | 5 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | Volga Nizhny Novgorod | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | RKC | 29 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Western Sydney Wanderers | 44 | (9) | |||||||||||||
| 2016 | Suwon Bluewings | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2017 | Zhejiang Yiteng | 23 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2018 | VVV-Venlo | 14 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 287 | (64) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Netherlands | 10 | (1) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Romeo Erwan Marius Castelen, born on May 3, 1983, is a former Dutch football player. He was known for playing as a right winger, which means he played on the side of the field, often helping with attacks.
Contents
Romeo Castelen's Football Journey
Starting with ADO Den Haag
Romeo Castelen was born in Paramaribo, Suriname. He began his professional football career with ADO Den Haag in the Netherlands. He played two full seasons in the second division of Dutch football.
He made his first team debut before he was even 18 years old. In the 2002–03 season, he scored nine goals in 24 games. His help allowed the club to win the championship and move up to the top league, the Eredivisie.
Castelen played his first game in the top league on August 16, 2003. It was an away game against RKC Waalwijk, which his team lost 1–0. During the 2003–04 season, he played in almost every match. His team, from The Hague, just managed to avoid being sent back down to the second division.
Playing for Feyenoord
For the 2004–05 season, Castelen moved to Feyenoord, a bigger club. He made his first official appearance for them on August 15, scoring two goals in a big 6–1 home win against De Graafschap. In his first two years with the Rotterdam team, he scored a total of 19 goals. Feyenoord finished fourth and then third in the league during those seasons.
Castelen was part of a very strong attacking trio at Feyenoord, playing alongside Salomon Kalou and Dirk Kuyt. However, in his second year, he only played in 23 games because of an injury.
In the 2006–07 season, Castelen played only 12 league matches due to an ankle injury. Feyenoord finished seventh that year. On April 22, 2007, he scored his only goal of the season in a 1–1 home draw against NEC Nijmegen.
Time with Hamburger SV
Castelen was healthy again before the 2007–08 season began. His contract was ending, and he was offered a new one, but he decided not to sign it. He felt his future at Feyenoord wasn't bright because of the team's recent results. Even when famous players like Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Kevin Hofland, and Roy Makaay joined, he still chose to leave.
In July 2007, he agreed to join Hamburger SV in Germany, signing a four-year contract. He played 79 official games for Feyenoord and scored 21 goals.
Castelen played his first Bundesliga game on August 11, 2007, coming on for seven minutes in a 1–0 away win against Hannover 96. While playing at the Volksparkstadion, he had many injury problems. His contract was not renewed, and he left the club in June 2012.
Later Career Years
After almost a year without playing football, Castelen signed with the Russian Premier League team FC Volga Nizhny Novgorod on February 15, 2013. He left the club at the end of the season.
On July 3, 2013, Castelen returned to the Netherlands and its top division, joining RKC. About a year later, he signed a two-year contract with A-League club Western Sydney Wanderers FC in Australia. He played with his new team in the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup. He scored the first goal against ES Sétif in the fifth-place match, which ended in a 2–2 draw. His team then lost in a penalty shootout.
In the 2015–16 season, Castelen scored seven goals in total. Three of these goals came in the semi-finals of the final series, helping his team win 5–4 in extra time against Brisbane Roar FC. However, he left the club on May 5, 2016.
On July 14, 2016, Castelen signed with K-League Classic team Suwon Samsung Bluewings in South Korea. In January 2018, he returned to the Netherlands and joined VVV-Venlo. He made his debut against his old club, Den Haag. He stopped playing professional football later that year. Since then, he has worked as an agent, helping players like Evert Linthorst and Simon Janssen.
Playing for His Country
Castelen's strong start at Feyenoord impressed the new manager of the Dutch national team, Marco van Basten. Castelen made his debut for the "Oranje" (the Dutch team's nickname) on August 18, 2004. He started in a 2–2 friendly draw against Sweden. However, his ongoing physical problems meant he could not join the squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Also in 2006, Castelen helped the Dutch under-21 team win the UEFA European Championship in Portugal.
Honours and Achievements
Club Trophies
Den Haag
- Eerste Divisie: 2002–03 (Champions of the second division)
Country Trophies
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2006 (European Champions with the Under-21 team)
See also
In Spanish: Romeo Castelen para niños
