Wilfred Bouma facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 15 June 1978 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Helmond, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Left back, centre back | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| –1994 | SV Rood-Wit '62 | |||||||||||||||
| 1994 | PSV | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1994–2005 | PSV | 168 | (19) | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1998 | → MVV (loan) | 51 | (13) | |||||||||||||
| 1998–1999 | → Fortuna Sittard (loan) | 33 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | Aston Villa | 83 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | PSV | 76 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 411 | (42) | ||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Netherlands U15 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Netherlands U16 | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Netherlands U17 | 7 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1994 | Netherlands U18 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Netherlands U19 | |||||||||||||||
| 1996–2000 | Netherlands U21 | 16 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2012 | Netherlands | 37 | (2) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Wilfred Bouma (born 15 June 1978) is a Dutch former professional footballer. He was known for playing as a defender, mostly for PSV Eindhoven, Aston Villa, and the Netherlands national team. Bouma played a total of 411 club games and scored 42 goals during his career. He also represented his country 37 times.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
Wilfred Bouma was born in Helmond, Netherlands. He began his football journey at a local amateur club called SV Rood-Wit '62. In 1994, he joined the youth team of PSV, a big club in the Netherlands.
He made his first professional appearance for PSV in October 1994. After not playing much, he was loaned out to MVV in 1996. There, he scored seven goals in 18 games. The next season, he scored 16 goals in 33 games, helping MVV get promoted to the top league, the Eredivisie. After a good loan spell at Fortuna Sittard in 1998–99, PSV brought him back to their main squad.
Playing for PSV Eindhoven
When Bouma returned to PSV, he first played as a left winger or forward. He was very fast and good at passing the ball. He often played alongside famous players like Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Later, in 1999, he moved to play as a left-back. This is a defensive position. He had to compete with another strong player, Jan Heintze, for this spot.
Bouma also started playing for the Dutch national team in 2000. During the Euro 2004 tournament, he played as a central defender. He kept this position for PSV as well.
Time at Aston Villa
In August 2005, Bouma moved to England to play for Aston Villa. He signed for the club for about £3.5 million. His first season was tough because he had many injuries.
However, when a new coach, Martin O'Neill, joined Aston Villa, Bouma started to play much better. He became the team's main left-back during the 2006–07 season. He played 28 games that season. His good form also helped him get back into the Dutch national team.
On 9 February 2008, Bouma scored his only goal for Aston Villa. It was against Newcastle United and helped his team win 4–1.
Injury and Recovery
After playing for the Netherlands at Euro 2008, Bouma suffered a very serious ankle injury in July 2008. This happened during a game against Odense. The injury was so bad that it looked like his ankle was broken, but it was a dislocation. This meant he would be out of action for a very long time. Fans showed him a lot of support as he was carried off the field.
Despite signing a new contract, Bouma faced many challenges in his recovery. He had several setbacks, including bone fragments breaking off his ankle. He even had surgery. After being out for 14 months, he returned to training in September 2009. However, he still couldn't get back into the first team.
In May 2010, Aston Villa announced that Bouma would leave the club. He was very emotional when he said goodbye to the fans.
Returning to PSV
On 26 June 2010, Bouma returned to his former club, PSV Eindhoven, for a trial. He wanted to restart his career. He officially signed a two-year contract with PSV in August 2010.
He scored his first goal back in the Netherlands in a 3–0 win against VVV-Venlo. Bouma also played in a record-breaking 10–0 victory over Feyenoord. He continued to play well and even wore the captain's armband for a short time in a UEFA Europa League match.
International Career
Wilfred Bouma played for the Dutch national team 37 times and scored two goals. He made his first international appearance on 2 September 2000.
He was part of the Dutch squad for UEFA Euro 2004 and UEFA Euro 2008. At Euro 2004, he played as a central defender. He scored one of his international goals during this tournament against the Czech Republic. His second goal came later that year against Macedonia.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Bouma started working as a coach. In 2015, he did an internship as a youth coach at PSV. Since 2019, he has been an assistant coach for Jong PSV, which is PSV's reserve team.
Personal Life
Wilfred Bouma was born in the Netherlands. He has family roots from Suriname and Indonesia. He lives in Eindhoven.
Honours
PSV Eindhoven
- Eredivisie: 1999–00, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05
- KNVB Cup: 1996, 2005, 2012
- Johan Cruijff-schaal: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2012
See also
In Spanish: Wilfred Bouma para niños
