Royston Drenthe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Royston Drenthe

Drenthe with Hércules in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Royston Ricky Drenthe
Date of birth	(1987-04-08) 8 April 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Rotterdam, Netherlands
Height	1.67 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s)	Left winger, left-back
Youth career
1992–2000	SC Neptunus
2000–2003	Feyenoord
2003–2005	Excelsior
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2007	Feyenoord	29	(0)
2007–2012	Real Madrid	46	(2)
2010–2011	→ Hércules (loan)	17	(4)
2011–2012	→ Everton (loan)	21	(3)
2012–2013	Alania Vladikavkaz	6	(3)
2013–2015	Reading	23	(2)
2014–2015	→ Sheffield Wednesday (loan)	15	(1)
2015	Kayseri Erciyesspor	11	(3)
2015–2016	Baniyas	18	(0)
2018–2019	Sparta Rotterdam	32	(5)
2019–2021	Kozakken Boys	9	(3)
2021–2022	Racing Murcia	28	(9)
2022	→ Real Murcia (loan)	9	(0)
2022	Racing Mérida City	15	(3)
2023	Kozakken Boys	5	(0)
2025	Hessle Sporting	0	(0)
Total		284	(38)
International career
2005	Netherlands U18	1	(0)
2005–2006	Netherlands U19	6	(0)
2006–2008	Netherlands U21	17	(4)
2008	Netherlands B	1	(0)
2010	Netherlands	1	(0)
Medal record Representing  Netherlands UEFA U-21 Euro Winner 2007 Netherlands
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Royston Ricky Drenthe (born 8 April 1987) is a Dutch former professional footballer. He mostly played as a left winger, but could also play as a left-back.

Drenthe began his professional career with Eredivisie team Feyenoord in 2005. He had grown up playing in the club's youth academy. He played 37 games for Feyenoord before moving to La Liga club Real Madrid in 2007. During his five years in Madrid, he played 65 games for the club. He also spent time on loan at Hércules and Premier League team Everton. He played 19 games for Hércules and 27 for Everton.

After Real Madrid, he joined Russian Premier League team Alania Vladikavkaz in February 2013. He played six games there for a short time. Then, he joined Reading in June 2013. In January 2015, he moved to Kayseri Erciyessor. After that, he joined UAE Pro League team Baniyas Club in September 2015. Baniyas released him in July 2016, and Drenthe announced he was stopping playing football. He then started making music under the name Roya2Faces. Two years later, Drenthe returned to football to play for Sparta Rotterdam in 2018.

Drenthe played 17 games for the Netherlands under-21s between 2006 and 2008. He was part of the team that won the 2007 European Championship. He later played one game for the Netherlands B team. He also played once for the main national team.

Royston Drenthe's Football Journey

Starting Young: His Early Days

Royston Drenthe was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands. His family is from Suriname. He joined his local team Feyenoord's youth system when he was 13. He mostly played as a winger when he was younger.

He faced some challenges during a trip to Switzerland with the B-team. His coach, Marcel Bout, wanted him to leave the club. But the problems were solved after Rob Baan, the club's director, helped out.

Coach Bout did not use Drenthe much after that. At the end of the season, Drenthe was one of eleven players whose future at the club was uncertain. He then moved to Excelsior, a club connected to Feyenoord.

Drenthe got much better during his two years at Excelsior. His manager, Marco van Lochem, successfully played him as a left back. He impressed his old club's coaches. They asked him to rejoin Feyenoord, and he agreed.

Playing for Feyenoord

Drenthe with Feyenoord.

In the 2005–06 season, Drenthe moved up to Feyenoord's first team. His former youth coach, Henk Fräser, was now the manager. He scored three goals against Ajax in a youth tournament called the Otten Cup. After this, he started training with the main team, but still played for the reserve team.

In the same week he helped his club win 5–1 against Ajax with the second team, Drenthe got a professional contract at Feyenoord. Manager Erwin Koeman gave him his Eredivisie debut against Vitesse. Drenthe finished that season having played three matches.

In 2006–07, Feyenoord signed an experienced Belgian player named Philippe Léonard. Pascal Bosschaart was also still in the team. But Léonard got injured, and Bosschaart moved to another club. This made Drenthe the first-choice player. Feyenoord finished seventh in the league that season.

Drenthe won the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with the Netherlands. After this, Feyenoord accepted an offer of €14 million from Real Madrid. Drenthe had said he would take his club to court if they did not let him go.

Joining Real Madrid

Drenthe with Real Madrid in 2008

Real Madrid introduced Drenthe as their new player on 13 August 2007. His fellow Dutch player Wesley Sneijder was also introduced that day. Drenthe played his first official game as a midfielder in the Spanish Supercup against Sevilla. He scored a goal from 40 yards out, making the score 1–1. However, Real Madrid lost the game 3–5 at home and 3–6 overall.

Drenthe played regularly for Real Madrid in his first season. He played in both left-wing positions. But he started playing less after Marcelo became a stronger player. Manager Bernd Schuster left him out of the team for several games. At one point, Drenthe left the training ground after being left out of a match. He finished the season with 18 league games played. He also played four games in the Champions League. He scored his first league goal against Real Valladolid in a 7–0 home win on 10 February 2008.

People thought he might leave the club on loan. But Drenthe played in 15 of Real Madrid's first 18 games in the 2008–09 season. However, he faced some challenges after fans booed him during a 1–0 home win against Deportivo de La Coruña. He did not play for the club for a while. Manager Juande Ramos supported him and said he would help. The manager later said that Drenthe asked not to be chosen for the three games after the Deportivo match.

On 31 August 2010, Drenthe had not played much in his third season. He was then loaned to Hércules for the season. He played his first game for them on 11 September in a 2–0 away win against Barcelona. He scored his first goal for Hércules on 14 November. It was a free kick against Real Sociedad in a 2–1 home victory. The Spanish press praised his performances with the Alicante team. However, Drenthe soon had problems with the club's management and coaches. He arrived a week late after the winter break. He said it was because he had "lost confidence in Hércules management."

On 3 April 2011, Drenthe scored two goals in his second game after his suspension. This helped Hércules get their first away win since September, a 3–1 victory against Real Sociedad. He ended the season starting 15 games and playing 1,299 minutes. His team was eventually moved down to a lower league.

Time at Everton

On 31 August 2011, Drenthe joined Premier League club Everton on a season-long loan. He played his first Premier League game as a substitute in a 2–2 home draw against Aston Villa on 10 September. Again coming off the bench, he scored in the 97th minute against Wigan Athletic. This completed a 3–1 home victory.

Drenthe started his first game for Everton on 21 September 2011. It was a League Cup match against West Bromwich Albion. He helped set up the winning goal for Phil Neville in extra time. Everton won 2–1 at home. In his first full league start, at Fulham on 23 October, he scored just three minutes into the game. Everton won that match 3–1.

On 21 December 2011, Drenthe had been out for three weeks due to an ankle injury. When he returned, he helped Leon Osman score the only goal in a home game against Swansea City. On 18 February 2012, in an FA Cup match against Blackpool, he scored after only 49 seconds. Everton won 2–0 at home. Drenthe started the next game for Everton. He scored a powerful shot from 20 yards out. This was the first goal in a 1–1 away draw against Queens Park Rangers.

In March 2012, Drenthe was given time off for personal reasons. When he came back, he was late for training. Because of this, manager David Moyes did not include him in Everton's FA Cup semi-final team. He was also told to stay away from the club. Former Everton Goalkeeper Tim Howard said that Drenthe's poor discipline and attitude were reasons he was left out.

Playing in Russia: Alania Vladikavkaz

Drenthe left Real Madrid when his contract ended on 30 June 2012. In December, he signed a deal with the Russian club Alania Vladikavkaz. This deal started on 2 February the next year. Drenthe played his first league game for his new team on 9 March 2013, against Rostov. After the game, coach Valery Gazzaev called him a "great professional and an example for the youth." On 15 April, in only his fifth game for the club, he scored three goals in a 3–1 home win. This was against Mordovia Saransk, a team also trying to avoid being moved down a league.

Moving to Reading

Reading officially announced they had signed Drenthe on 21 June 2013. He signed a two-year contract with the chance for a third year. On 8 March 2014, Drenthe scored his first goal for the club. It was in a 1–1 draw away at Brighton & Hove Albion. He cut in from the right and shot with his left foot into the bottom corner. Drenthe then scored his second goal for the club on 11 March. It was a free-kick just after half-time in a 4–2 away win against Leeds United. In July 2014, Drenthe was told he could leave Reading after only one season. He also lost his squad number when the official numbers were announced.

Loan Spell at Sheffield Wednesday

Drenthe joined Sheffield Wednesday on a six-month loan on 1 September 2014. He played his first game for the Owls as a substitute for Chris Maguire. It was a 0–0 away draw against Bolton Wanderers on 13 September. His only goal for the Owls came in a 1–1 away draw at Charlton Athletic on 1 November.

Playing in Turkey: Kayseri Erciyesspor

On 23 January 2015, Drenthe joined the Turkish Süper Lig team Kayseri Erciyesspor.

In the UAE: Baniyas Club

Drenthe joined UAE Pro League team Baniyas Club in September 2015. He was released from the club in July 2016.

A Break from Football

Drenthe could not find a new club. He then announced he was taking a break from professional football. He said he was "no longer a footballer."

Coming Back: Sparta Rotterdam

After training with the team for a few weeks, Sparta Rotterdam announced on 6 July 2018 that they had signed Drenthe for one year. Sparta Rotterdam was promoted to the Eredivisie during the 2018–2019 season. The club then decided not to extend his contract.

Playing for Kozakken Boys

Drenthe then signed for Kozakken Boys.

Back in Spain: Racing Murcia and Real Murcia

On 6 January 2021, Drenthe returned to Spain. He signed with Racing Murcia. On 30 January 2022, Drenthe was loaned to Real Murcia. This club was in the same city but one league higher than Racing. In August 2022, he joined Racing Mérida City. This team plays in the sixth-tier Primera División Extremeña.

Another Return to Kozakken Boys

At the end of 2022, he returned to Kozakken Boys for a try-out.

On 17 November 2023, Drenthe announced he was retiring from professional football.

Playing for His Country: The Netherlands

After his first full season at Feyenoord, Drenthe was chosen by Dutch under-21 coach Foppe de Haan. He was part of the team for the 2007 UEFA European Championship. This tournament was held in the Netherlands. He was one of the most important players as the Jong Oranje (Young Orange) won the competition for the second time in a row. UEFA chose him as the Player of the Tournament. The next year, he represented his country at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

On 14 November 2010, Drenthe was chosen for the Dutch senior team for the first time. Coach Bert van Marwijk picked him as a late replacement for an injured player. Three days later, he played his first game. He came on as a substitute in the second half of a 1–0 friendly win against Turkey.

Beyond the Pitch

Drenthe's younger brother, Giovanni, is also a footballer. Giovanni chose to play for Suriname internationally. His cousin, Georginio Wijnaldum, also came from the Feyenoord youth academy. He is also a cousin of the Suriname international Tyrone Conraad.

Drenthe recorded a rap song with his friend U-Niq called "Tak Takie."

In 2014, Drenthe opened a clothing store in Rotterdam with Michel Poldervaart.

In 2023, he started working in the healthcare sector. He explained that his "entire family has always been in care."

Becoming a TV Commentator

Drenthe signed a contract with the Spanish sports program El Chiringuito de Jugones. He became a commentator on 1 March 2021.

Career statistics

Honours

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 2007–08
• Supercopa de España: 2008; runner-up: 2007

Sparta Rotterdam

• Eerste Divisie
  • Play-off Promotion: 2018–19

Netherlands U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2007

Individual

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Player: 2007

See also

In Spanish: Royston Drenthe para niños