Dirk Kuyt
Encyclopedia
Dirk Kuyt (ˈdɪrk ˈkœy̆t; born 22 July 1980) is a Dutch
footballer who plays for English club Liverpool
. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger
and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team
.
Kuyt began his professional career with FC Utrecht in 1998 and quickly became part of their first team. He spent five years at the club and in his final season he won his first senior honour, the Dutch Cup, and was chosen as the season's Dutch Golden Shoe Winner. Following this, he left Utrecht in a €
1 million transfer to Feyenoord. He became the club captain in 2005 and was a prolific goalscorer at the Rotterdam
club; he was the club's top scorer for three consecutive seasons, the top goalscorer in the 2004–05 Eredivisie
season, and the 2005–06 Dutch Footballer of the Year
. Kuyt missed only five games over seven seasons from 1999 until 2006 and appeared in 179 consecutive matches between 2001–06, striking up a fruitful partnership with fellow Feyenoord teammate Salomon Kalou
.
He left Feyenoord after three years, having scored 71 league goals in 101 appearances, and joined Premier League side Liverpool for £10 million. He made his Premier League debut late in 2006 and became part of the first team squad. He scored in his first ever UEFA Champions League
final with Liverpool against AC Milan.
Kuyt scored several important goals for Liverpool elsewhere too, including seven goals in the 2007–08 Champions League
tournament, including a goal in the quarter final against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium & in the semi final against Chelsea
, two penalty kick
s against Everton
in the derby the same season. He scored his first "Hat-Trick" for Liverpool against Manchester United
on March 6th 2011.
He made his international debut in 2004 and has represented the Netherlands at three major international tournaments, the 2006
and 2010 World Cup
and Euro 2008.
.
His football career began when he joined the local amateur team Quick Boys
at age 5. He broke into the first team in March 1998, playing the last six games of the season in the Hoofdklasse
, and catching the eye of Eredivisie
team FC Utrecht. Kuyt still regularly visits Katwijk and his old club Quick Boys, who benefited from a £300,000 windfall as a result of the player's move to Liverpool.
n Igor Gluščević
up front.
This continued until the 2002–03 season when Foeke Booy
was installed as the club's new manager. Booy played Kuyt as a striker / attacking midfielder (behind the striker) for the entire season, and Kuyt repaid him with 20 league goals. FC Utrecht also reached the Dutch Cup
final, where they met Feyenoord. Although they were the underdogs Utrecht comfortably won the cup 4–1, with Kuyt scoring one and being given the man-of-the-match award. At the end of the season Kuyt completed a €
1 million move to Feyenoord
, where he replaced the out-going Pierre van Hooijdonk
.
against De Graafschap
. He later went on to score three in the 6–3 victory against Den Haag
and ended the season as the Eredivisie's top scorer with 29 goals—a career high.
In 2005 Kuyt was handed the Feyenoord club captaincy and went on to have a third successful season with the club, scoring 25 goals in all competitions. He formed a golden duo with Salomon Kalou, nicknamed K2.
Over the summer of 2006 Kuyt was again linked with moves to many top English clubs, most notably Liverpool
and Newcastle United
. Rumours started in May with Dirk Kuyt stating "I am happy at Feyenoord but I would like to play in the Premier League." Kuyt completed a move to Liverpool on 18 August for an undisclosed fee.
Kuyt missed only five games over seven seasons from 1999 until 2006, making 233 appearances. Between March 2001 and April 2006 he played 179 consecutive matches.
After sitting out the first game Kuyt made his Liverpool debut as a substitute
against West Ham
on 26 August 2006. His first start came against PSV in the Champions League
and he has been first choice in most games since. He immediately got praises for the new defensive approach by a striker.
In his third start for the club on 20 September 2006 Kuyt scored his first goal against Newcastle United in a Premier League
game at Anfield
, and followed up with another against Tottenham Hotspur in the next game. He scored his third goal for Liverpool with his father watching the game at Anfield, contributing to Liverpool's 3–1 win over Aston Villa. Two weeks later he bagged a brace, as the only scorer in the Reds' 2–0 victory against Premiership newcomers Reading.
Kuyt won much praise for his early performances, with the Daily Mirror stating: "The Dutch striker has the look of a cult hero in the making" and The People
reporting that he is "propelling himself towards iconic status." One of the reasons for his early popularity is his post match courtesy to the fans. After each match he walks to every corner of the ground, and applauds the Liverpool supporters.
On 20 January 2007, Dirk Kuyt opened the scoring against Chelsea after only 4 minutes after a Peter Crouch
flick-on. Liverpool went on to defeat the champions 2–0. It was the first time Rafael Benítez
had defeated José Mourinho
in the Premiership. It was also the first goal scored by Liverpool against a top four club in the league in the 2006–07 season. Kuyt moved his league-goal tally into double figures by scoring the first goal in the game against West Ham on 30, January 2007.
Kuyt played a key part in Liverpool's penalty shoot-out win over Chelsea
in the semi-finals of the 2006–07 Champions League.
Firstly in extra-time he had a goal disallowed for offside from Xabi Alonso
's strike. Kuyt also scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out, and scored a consolation goal in their 2–1 defeat to Milan in the final
.
in their 3rd round qualifying encounter at Anfield on 28 August 2007. He scored two penalties against Everton
in the Merseyside derby
to give Liverpool a 2–1 win. His 3rd and final league goal of the season came in a 3–0 away win over Newcastle in November 2007, Kuyt would not score another league goal until October 2008.
Kuyt failed to score in 13 games for Liverpool, before netting against Barnsley in the fifth round of the FA Cup
.
On 19 February 2008, Kuyt scored the first goal in the first leg of the round of 16 of the 2007–08 Champions League against favourites Internazionale in a 2–0 win.
Starting in early 2008, Kuyt began to be employed as a right winger and set up two of Fernando Torres
's goals against West Ham
in March. He adapted to this new role and soon regained his overall form, playing himself into the starting XI again after putting on various vital team performances. On 2 April 2008, Kuyt scored an equalising goal against Arsenal
at the Emirates stadium.
On 22 April 2008, in the first leg of the Champions League all-English semi-final against Chelsea at Anfield
, Kuyt scored the opening goal just before half time.
in the 2008–09 Champions League qualifiers return match to put Liverpool through to the group stages of the competition. In his next game, a 2–1 win in the Premier League against Manchester United
, he assisted fellow countryman Ryan Babel
's winning goal.
Kuyt's goals at vital moments in important games, such as the last minute strike against Standard Liege
, an injury time winner against Manchester City on 5 October 2008 and twice in Liverpool's 3–2 comeback win over Wigan Athletic on 18 October 2008, have led to his reputation as a "Big Game Player"
The 2008/09 season saw Kuyt score 15 goals for the club, his best return for the club.
and Steven Gerrard
have scored more goals for the club in the European Cup. It was his 12th goal in Europe's premier club competition.
Kuyt scored his 4th league goal of the season in a vital 2–0 win against Everton at Goodison Park, in the Merseyside derby. He took his season's goal tally to six, his fifth in the league, by scoring in a 2–1 premier league loss to Arsenal at Anfield. On 20 January, Kuyt scored both goals at Anfield against Spurs in a 2–0 victory and a week later, scored the opener against Bolton. For both goals, he was assisted by Alberto Aquilani
which could be the start of a new partnership. Against Spurs, he played a delightful one-two with Alberto Aquilani
before slotting it home. While against Bolton, Alberto Aquilani
guided an Emiliano Insua
cross back into the path of Kuyt who slotted it home. On many occasions, they linked up together and threatened to score.
On the 6th of February he scored his fourth goal in the Merseyside Derby
, a header from a corner against Everton in the 55th minute bringing his tally of goals for Liverpool to 50 in all competitions. He was also awarded man of the match for this game which Liverpool won 1–0. On the 8th April he notched his 51st goal for Liverpool with a crucial yet controversial header in the Europa League against Benfica. The goal, a header direct from a corner, was originally dissallowed by the linesmen for offside, but after some heavy protests by the Liverpool players and manager Rafael Benitez
that you could not be offside directly from a corner, the referee changed his mind and allowed the goal. Kuyt played in his 200th competitive game for Liverpool, against Hull City
on the final day of Liverpool's dismal season.
at Anfield, the game finishing 1–1 and both teams finishing with 10 men. On 23 August, he played in the Red's heavy defeat to Manchester City at Eastlands
and featured in Liverpool's UEFA Europa League qualifier against Trabzonspor
, netting the winning goal in a 2–1 win 3 days later. On 29 August, he played in Liverpool's 1–0 win against West Brom
at Anfield. An injury to his shoulder during a Netherlands training session forced Kuyt out for a month, but returned a week earlier than expected, celebrating by scoring his second goal of the season against Sunderland at Anfield on 25 September in a 2–2 draw. Dirk Kuyt scored a penalty in Liverpool's 3–0 win against West Ham United
. On 16 January 2011, he scored yet another penalty to draw Liverpool level 2–2 against Everton F.C.
, after Tim Howard fouled Maxi Rodriguez. On 24 February he headed in from a corner against Sparta Prague to put Liverpool through to the last 16 of the Europa League
, winning 1–0 on the night at Anfield and 1–0 on aggregate.
On 6 March, Kuyt scored his first hat-trick
for Liverpool in a 3–1 win at Anfield against Liverpool
s biggest rivals Manchester United.
Kuyt added another goal to his Liverpool tally on 20 March 2011 scoring a well placed penalty against Sunderland
.
Kuyt scored his 11th goal of the season against Manchester City, with a neat finish to make it 2–0, with the game ending 3–0 to Liverpool.
On 15 April, Kuyt signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2013. On 17 April, Kuyt scored a 102nd minute penalty after Emmanuel Eboue
fouled Lucas Leiva
to seal a late draw against Arsenal after Robin van Persie
had scored a penalty in the 98th minute. The match finished 1–1. On the 23 April, Kuyt scored a 23 minute goal against Birmingham
after a tussle inside the box, the match ended 5–0 to Liverpool. On the 1 May, Kuyt scored a 59 minute penalty against Newcastle United for the second goal in a 3–0 win.On 9 May 2011 he became the first Liverpool player since John Aldridge
, in over two decades to score in five consecutive games, after his 16th minute goal against Fulham that led to a 5–2 victory.
Dirk Kuyt finished the season as Liverpool's top goal scorer scoring 13 league goals, finishing with a total of 15, equalling his best return for the club in a season .
; this also marked an end to Kuyt's 100 % penalty record for Liverpool. On 8th October 2011, Kuyt was announced as having taken up an advisory role with his first club in football, Quick Boys.
he dropped many established players, including strikers Roy Makaay
and Patrick Kluivert
. Kuyt benefitted as in September 2004 he made his international debut in van Basten's first game against Liechtenstein
. He has been a permanent fixture in the Dutch squad ever since, making the starting line-up for eleven of the Netherlands' twelve 2006 World Cup qualification
matches.
, Kuyt found himself relegated to the substitutes bench. Although he made an appearance as a 69th minute replacement in the first game against Serbia and Montenegro, he sat the entire second game out. With the team already qualified for the next round van Basten decided to rest many of his first choice players for the final group game against Argentina
, and Kuyt was handed a start in the right wing position.
For the Netherlands' Round of 16 tie against Portugal
, Kuyt was given a surprise start ahead of star-striker Ruud van Nistelrooy
. However, Kuyt did not have a successful game and the Netherlands eventually lost 1–0 in a game that was more reputable for its record breaking disciplinary record
(4 red cards and 16 yellow cards).
match, a 3–0 victory over 2006 World Champions
Italy
, assisting in two goals, his most notable act being the header that provided the link between Giovanni van Bronckhorst
's crossfield pass and Wesley Sneijder
's goal to make it 2–0 on 31 minutes. On 13 June, Kuyt contributed his team's second in the next game of Group C, a 4–1 victory over 2006 World Cup finalists France
by opening the scoring with a ninth minute header from a corner, taking his tally of international goals to eight.
During Euro 2008, Kuyt was employed as a winger, partnering with Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart
in the midfield due to the team's change of formation
from 4-3-3/4–4–2 to 4–2–3–1.
. During a friendly against England, he opened the scoring less than ten minutes after kick-off, pouncing on Rio Ferdinand
's poor back pass.
in South Africa
. On 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.
At the finals, Kuyt scored Holland's second goal in the 85th minute of their 2–0 win over Denmark
in their opening group match on a tap-in after Eljero Elia
's shot hit the post. In the quarter-final match on 2 July against Brazil
, Kuyt flicked a corner on to Wesley Sneijder
who headed the ball into the net giving the Dutch in a 2–1 win. He also assisted the goal scored by Arjen Robben
against Uruguay
in the semi-finals.
Kuyt started all seven matches for the Dutch who finished as runners up to Spain
and finished the tournament with one goal and three assists.
.
On 12 October 2010, Kuyt injured his ankle in Holland's fourth Euro 2012 qualifier
against Sweden
and was out of action for four weeks with the injury. On 25 March 2011 Kuyt scored Hollands third goal in a 4–0 win against Hungary for the Euro 2012 qualifiers. Four days later he scored twice in a 5–3 win against the same opponents. On 8 June 2011, Kuyt scored a 90th minute equaliser for Holland against Uruguay, leveling the match to 1–1, with Liverpool teammate Luis Suarez netting the opening goal of the match. Holland went on to lose to Uruguay on penalties. Kuyt scored the fourth goal in Holland's record 11–0 win over San Marino. Kuyt headed in his seventh international goal of 2011 in a 3-2 loss against Sweeden.
|2004||5||1
|-
|2005||10||2
|-
|2006||12||2
|-
|2007||8||1
|-
|2008||13||3
|-
|2009||11||4
|-
|2010||14||4
|-
|2011||11||7
|-
!Total||84||24
|}
Kuyt's father, also called Dirk, died of cancer on 29 June 2007.
Netherlands Utrecht
Winner
England Liverpool
Runner-up
Netherlands Netherlands
Runner-up
Top Scorer: 2005
*The Dirk Kuyt Foundation
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
footballer who plays for English club Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger
Winger (sport)
In certain sports, such as football, field hockey, ice hockey, handball, rugby union, lacrosse and rugby league, the term winger is the name of a position. It refers to positions on the extreme left and right sides of the pitch . In American football and Canadian football, the analogous position...
and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
.
Kuyt began his professional career with FC Utrecht in 1998 and quickly became part of their first team. He spent five years at the club and in his final season he won his first senior honour, the Dutch Cup, and was chosen as the season's Dutch Golden Shoe Winner. Following this, he left Utrecht in a €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
1 million transfer to Feyenoord. He became the club captain in 2005 and was a prolific goalscorer at the Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
club; he was the club's top scorer for three consecutive seasons, the top goalscorer in the 2004–05 Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
season, and the 2005–06 Dutch Footballer of the Year
Dutch Footballer of the Year
The title Dutch Footballer of the Year has been awarded in the Netherlands since 1984. The award is determined by a poll of Dutch professional footballers playing in the First and Second leagues....
. Kuyt missed only five games over seven seasons from 1999 until 2006 and appeared in 179 consecutive matches between 2001–06, striking up a fruitful partnership with fellow Feyenoord teammate Salomon Kalou
Salomon Kalou
Salomon Armand Magloire Kalou is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a striker for Chelsea in the Premier League.He is often used on the wings at Chelsea. He has a preference for playing on the left wing as this gives him opportunities to cut inside and take shots with his favoured right foot...
.
He left Feyenoord after three years, having scored 71 league goals in 101 appearances, and joined Premier League side Liverpool for £10 million. He made his Premier League debut late in 2006 and became part of the first team squad. He scored in his first ever UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
final with Liverpool against AC Milan.
Kuyt scored several important goals for Liverpool elsewhere too, including seven goals in the 2007–08 Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
tournament, including a goal in the quarter final against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium & in the semi final against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, two penalty kick
Penalty kick
A penalty kick is a type of direct free kick in association football, taken from twelve yards out from goal and with only the goalkeeper of the defending team between the penalty taker and the goal.Penalty kicks are performed during normal play...
s against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in the derby the same season. He scored his first "Hat-Trick" for Liverpool against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
on March 6th 2011.
He made his international debut in 2004 and has represented the Netherlands at three major international tournaments, the 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
and 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
and Euro 2008.
Early life
Kuyt is the third of four children. His father was a fisherman and he has stated that had he not found a career in football he probably would have followed his father into the family business. He grew up in the fishing town of Katwijk aan ZeeKatwijk
Katwijk is a coastal municipality and town in the province of South Holland in the western Netherlands. It has a population of 61,292.-Location:...
.
His football career began when he joined the local amateur team Quick Boys
Quick Boys
Quick Boys is an amateur football club from Katwijk, the Netherlands, in the Hoofdklasse. The club, established on February 1, 1920, is the second most successful amateur football club in the Netherlands, behind IJsselmeervogels....
at age 5. He broke into the first team in March 1998, playing the last six games of the season in the Hoofdklasse
Hoofdklasse
The Hoofdklasse is the 2nd highest league of amateur football in the Netherlands, and the fourth tier in general.-Background:The league is divided into two sections: Saturday and Sunday. This is a result of the traditional pillarisation , the segregation of Dutch society. The Saturday-clubs are by...
, and catching the eye of Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
team FC Utrecht. Kuyt still regularly visits Katwijk and his old club Quick Boys, who benefited from a £300,000 windfall as a result of the player's move to Liverpool.
FC Utrecht
Kuyt signed professionally for FC Utrecht that summer, aged 18, and immediately established himself in the first team.Sometimes He played as striker. However he was more often than not played as a winger, as they preferred to play SerbiaSerbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n Igor Gluščević
Igor Gluscevic
Igor Gluščević is a retired Montenegrin professional footballer who played as a striker.-Football career:Gluščević started his professional career with Vojvodina Novi Sad...
up front.
This continued until the 2002–03 season when Foeke Booy
Foeke Booy
Foeke Booy is a Dutch former football player and current football manager, who was born in the Frisian town of Leeuwarden. On Tuesday 18 December 2007 Booy was named as the Sparta Rotterdam coach after having guided Al Nasr in Saudi Arabia for only eight league matches during the summer of 2007...
was installed as the club's new manager. Booy played Kuyt as a striker / attacking midfielder (behind the striker) for the entire season, and Kuyt repaid him with 20 league goals. FC Utrecht also reached the Dutch Cup
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
final, where they met Feyenoord. Although they were the underdogs Utrecht comfortably won the cup 4–1, with Kuyt scoring one and being given the man-of-the-match award. At the end of the season Kuyt completed a €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
1 million move to Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division...
, where he replaced the out-going Pierre van Hooijdonk
Pierre van Hooijdonk
Petrus Ferdinandus Johannes "Pierre" van Hooijdonk is a retired Dutch football player who played as a striker. His last spell was at Feyenoord Rotterdam. Van Hooijdonk was capped 46 times for the Dutch national team, scoring 21 goals, and played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004...
.
Feyenoord
At Feyenoord, Kuyt immediately became a fans' favourite with his continued goal scoring success. His first season saw him net another 20 league goals. The opening game of the 2004–05 season marked Kuyt's first ever hat-trickHat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
against De Graafschap
De Graafschap
De Graafschap is a professional football club from Doetinchem, Netherlands. It was formed on 1 February 1954 and they play their home games at the "De Vijverberg" stadium. Their current home ground stands on where the old pitch used to be located and was opened on 12 August 2000...
. He later went on to score three in the 6–3 victory against Den Haag
ADO Den Haag
Alles Door Oefening Den Haag , commonly known by the abbreviated name ADO Den Haag , is a Dutch football club from the city of The Hague. The club was for a time known as FC Den Haag , with ADO representing the amateur branch of the club...
and ended the season as the Eredivisie's top scorer with 29 goals—a career high.
In 2005 Kuyt was handed the Feyenoord club captaincy and went on to have a third successful season with the club, scoring 25 goals in all competitions. He formed a golden duo with Salomon Kalou, nicknamed K2.
Over the summer of 2006 Kuyt was again linked with moves to many top English clubs, most notably Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
. Rumours started in May with Dirk Kuyt stating "I am happy at Feyenoord but I would like to play in the Premier League." Kuyt completed a move to Liverpool on 18 August for an undisclosed fee.
Kuyt missed only five games over seven seasons from 1999 until 2006, making 233 appearances. Between March 2001 and April 2006 he played 179 consecutive matches.
2006–07 season
Upon joining Liverpool, Kuyt stated "I only wanted to leave Feyenoord for a really big club, and that is what Liverpool are. They are a fantastic big club and it will be a real pleasure to play here."After sitting out the first game Kuyt made his Liverpool debut as a substitute
Substitute (football)
In association football, a substitute is a player who is brought on to the pitch during a match in exchange for an existing player. Substitutions are generally made to replace a player who has become tired or injured, or who is not performing well; there may also be tactical reasons such as...
against West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
on 26 August 2006. His first start came against PSV in the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and he has been first choice in most games since. He immediately got praises for the new defensive approach by a striker.
In his third start for the club on 20 September 2006 Kuyt scored his first goal against Newcastle United in a Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
game at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, and followed up with another against Tottenham Hotspur in the next game. He scored his third goal for Liverpool with his father watching the game at Anfield, contributing to Liverpool's 3–1 win over Aston Villa. Two weeks later he bagged a brace, as the only scorer in the Reds' 2–0 victory against Premiership newcomers Reading.
Kuyt won much praise for his early performances, with the Daily Mirror stating: "The Dutch striker has the look of a cult hero in the making" and The People
The People
The People, previously known as the Sunday People, is a British tabloid Sunday-only newspaper. The paper was founded on 16 October 1881.It is published by the Trinity Mirror Group.In July 2011 it had an average daily circulation of 806,544....
reporting that he is "propelling himself towards iconic status." One of the reasons for his early popularity is his post match courtesy to the fans. After each match he walks to every corner of the ground, and applauds the Liverpool supporters.
Peter Crouch
Peter James Crouch is an English footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Stoke City and the England national team.Crouch started his career as a trainee with Tottenham Hotspur...
flick-on. Liverpool went on to defeat the champions 2–0. It was the first time Rafael Benítez
Rafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....
had defeated José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
in the Premiership. It was also the first goal scored by Liverpool against a top four club in the league in the 2006–07 season. Kuyt moved his league-goal tally into double figures by scoring the first goal in the game against West Ham on 30, January 2007.
Kuyt played a key part in Liverpool's penalty shoot-out win over Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
in the semi-finals of the 2006–07 Champions League.
UEFA Champions League 2006-07
The 2006–07 UEFA Champions League was the 15th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded from the European Cup, and the 52nd season overall. The final was contested by Milan and Liverpool on 23 May 2007...
Firstly in extra-time he had a goal disallowed for offside from Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
's strike. Kuyt also scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out, and scored a consolation goal in their 2–1 defeat to Milan in the final
2007 UEFA Champions League Final
The 2007 UEFA Champions League Final was an association football match between A.C. Milan of Italy and Liverpool F.C. of England on 23 May 2007 at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2006–07 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the UEFA...
.
2007–08 season
He scored his first goals of the 2007–2008 season in Liverpools 4–0 victory over ToulouseToulouse FC
Toulouse Football Club is a French association football club based in the city of Toulouse. The club was founded in 1970 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top level of French football. Toulouse plays its home matches at the Stadium Municipal located within the city. The first team is managed by...
in their 3rd round qualifying encounter at Anfield on 28 August 2007. He scored two penalties against Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
in the Merseyside derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
to give Liverpool a 2–1 win. His 3rd and final league goal of the season came in a 3–0 away win over Newcastle in November 2007, Kuyt would not score another league goal until October 2008.
Kuyt failed to score in 13 games for Liverpool, before netting against Barnsley in the fifth round of the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
.
On 19 February 2008, Kuyt scored the first goal in the first leg of the round of 16 of the 2007–08 Champions League against favourites Internazionale in a 2–0 win.
Starting in early 2008, Kuyt began to be employed as a right winger and set up two of Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
's goals against West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
in March. He adapted to this new role and soon regained his overall form, playing himself into the starting XI again after putting on various vital team performances. On 2 April 2008, Kuyt scored an equalising goal against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
at the Emirates stadium.
On 22 April 2008, in the first leg of the Champions League all-English semi-final against Chelsea at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, Kuyt scored the opening goal just before half time.
2008–09 season
Dirk Kuyt scored a late extra time goal against Standard LiègeStandard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
in the 2008–09 Champions League qualifiers return match to put Liverpool through to the group stages of the competition. In his next game, a 2–1 win in the Premier League against Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, he assisted fellow countryman Ryan Babel
Ryan Babel
Ryan Guno Babel is a Dutch football player who currently plays for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He can play as a left winger and as a striker. Babel began his career at AFC Ajax in 1998, working his way up through the youth team and into the senior squad...
's winning goal.
Kuyt's goals at vital moments in important games, such as the last minute strike against Standard Liege
Standard Liège
Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège Royal Standard de Liège, commonly referred to as Standard Liège (Dutch: Standard Luik [], German: Standard Lüttich , is a Belgian football club from the city of Liège....
, an injury time winner against Manchester City on 5 October 2008 and twice in Liverpool's 3–2 comeback win over Wigan Athletic on 18 October 2008, have led to his reputation as a "Big Game Player"
The 2008/09 season saw Kuyt score 15 goals for the club, his best return for the club.
2009–10 season
As a result of heavy injuries sustained by the Liverpool squad, Kuyt often found himself playing a central striker role. Kuyt scored against Stoke and Burnley in two home 4–0 triumphs. He also scored the winning goal in Liverpool's opening Champions League group game against Hungarian team Debrecen in a 1–0 win. Kuyt's goal against Debreceni means only Ian RushIan Rush
Ian James Rush, MBE, is a retired football player from Flint, Wales. He is best remembered as a player for Liverpool, where he was among the top strikers in the English game in the 1980s and 1990s. He also had spells playing at Chester City, Juventus, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield...
and Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard
Steven George Gerrard MBE is an English footballer who plays for and captains Premier League club Liverpool. He also has 89 caps for the England national team. He has played much of his career in a centre midfielder role, but he has also been used as a second striker and right winger...
have scored more goals for the club in the European Cup. It was his 12th goal in Europe's premier club competition.
Kuyt scored his 4th league goal of the season in a vital 2–0 win against Everton at Goodison Park, in the Merseyside derby. He took his season's goal tally to six, his fifth in the league, by scoring in a 2–1 premier league loss to Arsenal at Anfield. On 20 January, Kuyt scored both goals at Anfield against Spurs in a 2–0 victory and a week later, scored the opener against Bolton. For both goals, he was assisted by Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan on loan from Liverpool. He is also part of the Italian national team. Aquilani is a central midfielder, who can operate in a holding position or an attacking position in the hole behind the strikers...
which could be the start of a new partnership. Against Spurs, he played a delightful one-two with Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan on loan from Liverpool. He is also part of the Italian national team. Aquilani is a central midfielder, who can operate in a holding position or an attacking position in the hole behind the strikers...
before slotting it home. While against Bolton, Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani
Alberto Aquilani is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan on loan from Liverpool. He is also part of the Italian national team. Aquilani is a central midfielder, who can operate in a holding position or an attacking position in the hole behind the strikers...
guided an Emiliano Insua
Emiliano Insúa
Emiliano Adrián Insúa Zapata is an Argentine football defender who plays for Sporting CP and for the Argentina national team.Insúa is a European Union citizen due to one of his grandparents being a Spanish citizen.-Early career:...
cross back into the path of Kuyt who slotted it home. On many occasions, they linked up together and threatened to score.
On the 6th of February he scored his fourth goal in the Merseyside Derby
Merseyside derby
The Merseyside derby is the name given to any football match contested between Everton and Liverpool football clubs, the two most successful clubs from the city of Liverpool in England...
, a header from a corner against Everton in the 55th minute bringing his tally of goals for Liverpool to 50 in all competitions. He was also awarded man of the match for this game which Liverpool won 1–0. On the 8th April he notched his 51st goal for Liverpool with a crucial yet controversial header in the Europa League against Benfica. The goal, a header direct from a corner, was originally dissallowed by the linesmen for offside, but after some heavy protests by the Liverpool players and manager Rafael Benitez
Rafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....
that you could not be offside directly from a corner, the referee changed his mind and allowed the goal. Kuyt played in his 200th competitive game for Liverpool, against Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
on the final day of Liverpool's dismal season.
2010–11 season
Kuyt featured in Liverpool's opening game of the season against ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
at Anfield, the game finishing 1–1 and both teams finishing with 10 men. On 23 August, he played in the Red's heavy defeat to Manchester City at Eastlands
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
and featured in Liverpool's UEFA Europa League qualifier against Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Trabzon, Turkey. Formed in 1967 through a merger of several local clubs, Trabzonspor won six championships in Turkish Super League. The Club won their first Championship title in 1975 which is also the Club's initiation year...
, netting the winning goal in a 2–1 win 3 days later. On 29 August, he played in Liverpool's 1–0 win against West Brom
West Bromwich Albion F.C.
West Bromwich Albion Football Club, also known as West Brom, The Baggies, The Throstles, Albion or WBA, are an English Premier League association football club based in West Bromwich in the West Midlands...
at Anfield. An injury to his shoulder during a Netherlands training session forced Kuyt out for a month, but returned a week earlier than expected, celebrating by scoring his second goal of the season against Sunderland at Anfield on 25 September in a 2–2 draw. Dirk Kuyt scored a penalty in Liverpool's 3–0 win against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. On 16 January 2011, he scored yet another penalty to draw Liverpool level 2–2 against Everton F.C.
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
, after Tim Howard fouled Maxi Rodriguez. On 24 February he headed in from a corner against Sparta Prague to put Liverpool through to the last 16 of the Europa League
2010–11 UEFA Europa League knockout phase
The knockout phase of the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League began on 15 February 2011 and concluded on 18 May 2011 with the final at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Republic of Ireland...
, winning 1–0 on the night at Anfield and 1–0 on aggregate.
On 6 March, Kuyt scored his first hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...
for Liverpool in a 3–1 win at Anfield against Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
s biggest rivals Manchester United.
Kuyt added another goal to his Liverpool tally on 20 March 2011 scoring a well placed penalty against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
.
Kuyt scored his 11th goal of the season against Manchester City, with a neat finish to make it 2–0, with the game ending 3–0 to Liverpool.
On 15 April, Kuyt signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until the summer of 2013. On 17 April, Kuyt scored a 102nd minute penalty after Emmanuel Eboue
Emmanuel Eboué
Emmanuel Eboué is an Ivorian footballer who plays for Süper Lig club Galatasaray and Ivory Coast. His natural position is at right back, but he is also used in various other positions. Eboué also holds a Belgian passport.-Early career:...
fouled Lucas Leiva
Lucas Leiva
Lucas Pezzini-Leiva , often known as simply Lucas, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a Defensive midfielder for Premier League club Liverpool and the Brazilian national side...
to seal a late draw against Arsenal after Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...
had scored a penalty in the 98th minute. The match finished 1–1. On the 23 April, Kuyt scored a 23 minute goal against Birmingham
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
after a tussle inside the box, the match ended 5–0 to Liverpool. On the 1 May, Kuyt scored a 59 minute penalty against Newcastle United for the second goal in a 3–0 win.On 9 May 2011 he became the first Liverpool player since John Aldridge
John Aldridge
John William Aldridge is a former Republic of Ireland international footballer and football manager...
, in over two decades to score in five consecutive games, after his 16th minute goal against Fulham that led to a 5–2 victory.
Dirk Kuyt finished the season as Liverpool's top goal scorer scoring 13 league goals, finishing with a total of 15, equalling his best return for the club in a season .
2011–12 Season
On 21st September 2011, Dirk Kuyt scored his first goal of the season in the Carling Cup 3rd Round 2–1 win against Brighton Hove Albion in the 83rd minute. Craig Bellamy also scored for The Reds in the match. On 1st October 2011, Kuyt missed out on getting his 50th goal in the league for Liverpool, missing a penalty against EvertonEverton
Everton is a district of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England and a Liverpool City Council ward. At the 2001 Census the population was recorded as 7,398.-Toponymy:...
; this also marked an end to Kuyt's 100 % penalty record for Liverpool. On 8th October 2011, Kuyt was announced as having taken up an advisory role with his first club in football, Quick Boys.
International career
When Marco van Basten took over as coach of the Dutch national teamNetherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
he dropped many established players, including strikers Roy Makaay
Roy Makaay
Rudolphus "Roy" Antonius Makaay is a retired Dutch footballer. While playing for Bayern Munich he picked up the nickname Das Phantom , for his ability to score out of nowhere.-Career:...
and Patrick Kluivert
Patrick Kluivert
Patrick Stephan Kluivert is a former Dutch footballer, currently head coach of the youth side of FC Twente. He played as a striker for AFC Ajax, A.C. Milan, FC Barcelona, Newcastle United, Valencia CF, PSV Eindhoven, and Lille OSC. Kluivert played for the Dutch national team from 1994 to 2004. He...
. Kuyt benefitted as in September 2004 he made his international debut in van Basten's first game against Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein national football team
The Liechtenstein national football team is the national football team of Liechtenstein and is controlled by the Liechtenstein Football Association. The organisation is known as the Liechtensteiner Fussballverband in German. The team's first match was an unofficial match against Malta in Seoul, a...
. He has been a permanent fixture in the Dutch squad ever since, making the starting line-up for eleven of the Netherlands' twelve 2006 World Cup qualification
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup...
matches.
2006 World Cup
At the 2006 World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, Kuyt found himself relegated to the substitutes bench. Although he made an appearance as a 69th minute replacement in the first game against Serbia and Montenegro, he sat the entire second game out. With the team already qualified for the next round van Basten decided to rest many of his first choice players for the final group game against Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, and Kuyt was handed a start in the right wing position.
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, Kuyt was given a surprise start ahead of star-striker Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
. However, Kuyt did not have a successful game and the Netherlands eventually lost 1–0 in a game that was more reputable for its record breaking disciplinary record
Battle of Nuremberg
The Battle of Nuremberg is the nickname of a football match played in Round 2 of the 2006 FIFA World Cup between Portugal and the Netherlands at the Frankenstadion in Nuremberg on 25 June 2006...
(4 red cards and 16 yellow cards).
Euro 2008
Kuyt was selected for the Dutch squad for Euro 2008. On 9 June, he played in their opening Group CUEFA Euro 2008 Group C
Group C of the 2008 UEFA European Championships is one of four groups of competing nations at UEFA Euro 2008. The first of three rounds of matches took place on 9 June, and finished on 17 June. All six group matches were played at venues in Switzerland, in Zürich and Berne. The group is composed of...
match, a 3–0 victory over 2006 World Champions
2006 FIFA World Cup Final
The 2006 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 9 July 2006 at the Olympiastadion, Berlin to determine the winner of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Italy beat France on penalties after the match finished 1–1 after extra time...
Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, assisting in two goals, his most notable act being the header that provided the link between Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst OON , known as Gio in Spain, is a retired Dutch footballer of Moluccan descent who served as the captain of the Dutch national team from August 2008 until his retirement....
's crossfield pass and Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
's goal to make it 2–0 on 31 minutes. On 13 June, Kuyt contributed his team's second in the next game of Group C, a 4–1 victory over 2006 World Cup finalists France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
by opening the scoring with a ninth minute header from a corner, taking his tally of international goals to eight.
During Euro 2008, Kuyt was employed as a winger, partnering with Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker...
in the midfield due to the team's change of formation
Formation (association football)
In association football, the formation describes how the players in a team are positioned on the pitch. Different formations can be used depending on whether a team wishes to play more attacking or defensive football....
from 4-3-3/4–4–2 to 4–2–3–1.
Post Euro 2008
Kuyt scored 3 goals in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
. During a friendly against England, he opened the scoring less than ten minutes after kick-off, pouncing on Rio Ferdinand
Rio Ferdinand
Rio Gavin Ferdinand is an English footballer. He plays at centre back for Manchester United in the Premier League and for the England national football team...
's poor back pass.
2010 World Cup
Kuyt was included in the preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. On 27 May 2010, Netherlands manager Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
announced that the player would be part of the final squad of 23 participating in the competition.
At the finals, Kuyt scored Holland's second goal in the 85th minute of their 2–0 win over Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in their opening group match on a tap-in after Eljero Elia
Eljero Elia
Eljero George Rinaldo Elia is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Juventus and the Dutch national team. He scored on his debut for the Dutch national team in September 2009 and participated at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.-ADO Den Haag:Before excelling in the...
's shot hit the post. In the quarter-final match on 2 July against Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, Kuyt flicked a corner on to Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
who headed the ball into the net giving the Dutch in a 2–1 win. He also assisted the goal scored by Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...
against Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
in the semi-finals.
Kuyt started all seven matches for the Dutch who finished as runners up to Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and finished the tournament with one goal and three assists.
Post 2010 World Cup
On 2 September 2010, Kuyt scored a penalty as Holland began their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with a 5–0 away win against San MarinoSan Marino national football team
The San Marino national football team is the national football team of San Marino, controlled by the San Marino Football Federation...
.
On 12 October 2010, Kuyt injured his ankle in Holland's fourth Euro 2012 qualifier
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group E
This page shows the standings and results for Group E of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.-Standings:*Note: Sweden qualified directly for the finals as the best runners-up.- Results and fixtures :...
against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
and was out of action for four weeks with the injury. On 25 March 2011 Kuyt scored Hollands third goal in a 4–0 win against Hungary for the Euro 2012 qualifiers. Four days later he scored twice in a 5–3 win against the same opponents. On 8 June 2011, Kuyt scored a 90th minute equaliser for Holland against Uruguay, leveling the match to 1–1, with Liverpool teammate Luis Suarez netting the opening goal of the match. Holland went on to lose to Uruguay on penalties. Kuyt scored the fourth goal in Holland's record 11–0 win over San Marino. Kuyt headed in his seventh international goal of 2011 in a 3-2 loss against Sweeden.
International career statistics
|-|2004||5||1
|-
|2005||10||2
|-
|2006||12||2
|-
|2007||8||1
|-
|2008||13||3
|-
|2009||11||4
|-
|2010||14||4
|-
|2011||11||7
|-
!Total||84||24
|}
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9 October 2004 | Skopje City Stadium Skopje City Stadium Philip II of Macedonia Arena is a multi-purpose stadium in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. It is currently used mostly for football matches, but sometimes also for music concerts or other events... , Skopje Skopje Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre... , Macedonia |
2–1 | 2–2 | 2006 World Cup qualification 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for UEFA teams. A total of 51 teams took part, divided in 8 Groups - five groups of 6 teams each and three groups of 7 teams each - competing for 13 places in the World Cup... |
|
| 2. | 4 June 2005 | De Kuip, Rotterdam Rotterdam Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre... , Netherlands |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2006 World Cup qualification | |
| 3. | 8 June 2005 | Olympic Stadium Helsinki Olympic Stadium The Helsinki Olympic Stadium , located in the Töölö district about from the center of the Finnish capital Helsinki, is the largest stadium in the country, nowadays mainly used for hosting sports events and big concerts. The stadium is best known for being the center of activities in the 1952... , Helsinki Helsinki Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is... , Finland |
0–2 | 0–4 | 2006 World Cup qualification | |
| 4. | 1 March 2006 | Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam ArenA Amsterdam Arena is a stadium in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is the largest stadium in the nation and it was built from 1993 to 1996 at a cost of €140 million, and was officially opened on 14 August 1996. It has been used for association football, American football, concerts, and other events... , Amsterdam Amsterdam Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population... , Netherlands |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly | |
| 5. | 6 September 2006 | Philips Stadion Philips Stadion Philips Stadion is the 35,000 seater stadium of football club, PSV Eindhoven. It was first inaugurated on 31 August 1913. The stadium is located in the Philipsdorp part of the Eindhoven borough of Strijp, close to Eindhoven's city centre.... , Eindhoven, Netherlands |
3–0 | 3–0 | Euro 2008 qualification | |
| 6. | 22 August 2007 | Stade de Genève Stade de Genève Stade de Genève is a stadium in the greater Geneva, Switzerland area . It has a capacity of 30,084.-Overview:The stadium was completed in 2003 by Zschokke Construction S.A. after nearly three years of construction... , Geneva Geneva Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland... , Switzerland |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
| 7. | 24 May 2008 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | 1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly | |
| 8. | 13 June 2008 | Stade de Suisse, Bern, Switzerland | 1–0 | 4–1 | Euro 2008 | |
| 9. | 19 November 2008 | Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly | |
| 10. | 28 March 2009 | Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2010 World Cup qualification 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
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| 11. | 1 April 2009 | Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1–0 | 4–0 | 2010 World Cup qualification | |
| 12. | 1 April 2009 | Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 3–0 | 4–0 | 2010 World Cup qualification | |
| 13. | 12 August 2009 | Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly | |
| 14. | 3 March 2010 | Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly | |
| 15. | 1 June 2010 | De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands | 1–0 | 4–1 | Friendly | |
| 16. | 14 June 2010 | Soccer City, Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa... , South Africa |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2010 World Cup 2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
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| 17. | 3 September 2010 | Stadio Olimpico Stadio Olimpico (San Marino) Stadio Olimpico is a multi-purpose stadium in Serravalle, San Marino. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the national stadium of San Marino, and is also used by the club San Marino Calcio, which plays in the Italian football league. The Stadio Olimpico was also used by... , Serravalle, San Marino |
0–1 | 0–5 | Euro 2012 qualification UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine... |
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| 18. | 9 February 2011 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands | 3–0 | 3–1 | Friendly | |
| 19. | 25 March 2011 | Stadium Puskas Ferenc Stadium Puskás Ferenc Ferenc Puskás Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Budapest, Hungary. It is situated on the Pest side of the capital between the Stadionok and the Keleti Palyaudvar metro stations. It is currently used mainly for football matches. The stadium is going to be demolished sometime in 2012 and... , Budapest Budapest Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter... , Hungary |
0–3 | 0–4 | Euro 2012 qualification | |
| 20. | 29 March 2011 | Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 4–3 | 5–3 | Euro 2012 qualification | |
| 21. | 29 March 2011 | Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands | 5–3 | 5–3 | Euro 2012 qualification | |
| 22. | 8 June 2011 | Estadio Centenario Estadio Centenario Estadio Centenario is a stadium in Parque Batlle, Montevideo, Uruguay, used primarily for football. The stadium was built between 1929 and 1930 to host the 1930 FIFA World Cup, as well as to commemorate the centennial of Uruguay's first constitution... , Montevideo Montevideo Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento... , Uruguay |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly | |
| 23. | 2 September 2011 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands | 4–0 | 11–0 | Euro 2012 qualification | |
| 24. | 11 October 2011 | Råsunda Stadium Råsunda Stadium Råsunda Fotbollstadion, also Råsundastadion, Råsunda Stadium or just Råsunda, is a Swedish national football stadium. It is located in Solna Municipality in Metropolitan Stockholm and named after Råsunda, a zone of Solna.-History:... , Stockholm Stockholm Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area... , Sweden |
1–2 | 3–2 | Euro 2012 qualification | |
Personal life
Kuyt's wife Gertrude has found favour in the Dutch media for her down-to-earth attitude. She continued to work as a nurse in an old people's home after marrying Kuyt until their daughter, Noelle, was born. Kuyt and his wife now carry out extensive charity work off the pitch. Most notably, he and his wife set up the Dirk Kuyt Foundation to help disadvantaged children in his homeland and the Third World. One of the ways the foundation raises money is by selling DK-branded clothes.Kuyt's father, also called Dirk, died of cancer on 29 June 2007.
Statistics
| Club | Season |  Premier LeagueFA Premier League The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier... |
FA Cup FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's... |
League Cup Football League Cup The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis... |
Europe | Others | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
2011–12 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| 2010–11 | 33 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 15 | |
| 2009–10 | 37 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 11 | |
| 2008–09 | 38 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 15 | |
| 2007–08 2007-08 in English football The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool... |
32 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 11 | |
| 2006–07 2006-07 in English football The 2006–07 season was the 127th season of competitive football in England.-Overview:* The number of divisions at Level 8 of the English football league system increased from four to five... |
34 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 14 | |
| Total | 185 | 49 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 54 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 255 | 67 | |
| Club | Season | Netherlands Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... |
Dutch Cup KNVB Cup The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup... |
- | Europe | Play-offs | Total | ||||||
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Feyenoord Feyenoord Rotterdam Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division... |
2005–06 | 33 | 22 | 1 | 0 | ||||||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 38 | 25 | ||||||||
| 2004–05 | 34 | 29 | 3 | 4 | |||||||||
| 7 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| 44 | 36 | ||||||||||||
| 2003–04 | 34 | 20 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||
| 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 40 | 22 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 101 | 71 | 6 | 5 | – | – | 13 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 122 | 83 | |
| FC Utrecht | 2002–03 | 34 | 20 | 4 | 2 | ||||||||
| 2 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 40 | 23 | ||||||||||||
| 2001–02 | 34 | 7 | 3 | 3 | |||||||||
| 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| 41 | 11 | ||||||||||||
| 2000–01 | 32 | 13 | 5 | 3 | |||||||||
| 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 37 | 16 | ||||||||||||
| 1999–00 | 32 | 6 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||
| 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 36 | 10 | ||||||||||||
| 1998–99 | 28 | 5 | 2 | 1 | |||||||||
| 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 30 | 6 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 160 | 51 | 18 | 13 | – | – | 6 | 2 | – | – | 184 | 66 | |
| Total | 446 | 171 | 34 | 20 | 6 | 1 | 73 | 22 | 2 | 2 | 561 | 216 | |
| Club | Season | Netherlands Saturday Hoofdklasse A Hoofdklasse The Hoofdklasse is the 2nd highest league of amateur football in the Netherlands, and the fourth tier in general.-Background:The league is divided into two sections: Saturday and Sunday. This is a result of the traditional pillarisation , the segregation of Dutch society. The Saturday-clubs are by... |
Dutch Cup KNVB Cup The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup... |
- | Europe | Play-offs | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Quick Boys Quick Boys Quick Boys is an amateur football club from Katwijk, the Netherlands, in the Hoofdklasse. The club, established on February 1, 1920, is the second most successful amateur football club in the Netherlands, behind IJsselmeervogels.... |
1997–98 | 6 | 3 | ||||||||||
| 6 | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Total | 6 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 6 | 3 | |
Career honours
Club
Netherlands UtrechtWinner
- KNVB CupKNVB CupThe KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
: 2002–03
England LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
Runner-up
- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 20072007 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2007 UEFA Champions League Final was an association football match between A.C. Milan of Italy and Liverpool F.C. of England on 23 May 2007 at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece. The showpiece event was the final match of the 2006–07 season of Europe's premier cup competition, the UEFA... - FA Premier LeagueFA Premier LeagueThe Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
: 2008–09
Netherlands NetherlandsNetherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
Runner-up
- FIFA World Cup2010 FIFA World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
: 20102010 FIFA World Cup FinalThe 2010 FIFA World Cup Final was a football match that took place on 11 July 2010 at Soccer City in Johannesburg, South Africa, to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain defeated the Netherlands 1–0 with a goal from Andrés Iniesta four minutes from the end of extra time...
Individual
- Eredivisie
Top Scorer: 2005
- Dutch Golden Shoe 2003, 2006
External links
- Dirk Kuyt Liverpool FC
*The Dirk Kuyt Foundation
- Player profile LFChistory.net
- Player Profile: Dirk Kuyt This is Anfield
- profile ESPN Soccernet
- Profile at Premier League