John Karelse is a retired Dutch

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...

 football goalkeeper.

He played for AGOVV Apeldoorn

AGOVV Apeldoorn

AGOVV Apeldoorn is a Dutch football club, playing in the Eerste Divisie, based in Apeldoorn.The club was founded on 25 February 1913, as AGOSV, which stood for Apeldoornse Geheel Onthoudersvoetbalvereniging Steeds Voorwaarts...

 in his native country for a few years before moving to NAC Breda

NAC Breda

NAC Breda , simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of...

. It was here that he caught the attention of then 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...

 manager Ruud Gullit

Ruud Gullit

OON is a Dutch football manager and former football player, who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. He was the captain of the Netherlands national team that was victorious at Euro 88 and was also a member of the squad for the 1990 World Cup. He was named the European Footballer of the...

, who signed him for £900,000 in August 1999. His time at Newcastle was largely unsuccessful, as he endured a terrible start to his career at the club, losing 4-2 to Southampton

Southampton F.C.

Southampton Football Club is an English football team, nicknamed The Saints, based in the city of Southampton, Hampshire. The club gained promotion to the Championship from League One in the 2010–2011 season after being relegated in 2009. Their home ground is the St Mary's Stadium, where the club...

 on his debut. He found his first team opportunities very limited after this, not helped by the competition for his position being very high with the reliable Shay Given

Shay Given

Séamus John James "Shay" Given is an Irish footballer who plays for Aston Villa and the Republic of Ireland national team as a goalkeeper. He won the PFA's Player of the Year in 2002....

 and Steve Harper

Steve Harper (footballer)

Stephen Alan "Steve" Harper is an English footballer. He plays for Premier League club Newcastle United as a goalkeeper....

 also at the club. Tony Caig

Tony Caig

Antony "Tony" Caig is an English football goalkeeper who currently plays and coaches other goalkeepers for Football League One club Carlisle United.-Professional career:...

 was also ahead of him as third choice backup.

A proposed move to Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

 broke down in 2000, but a year later a move back to Holland seemed likely, with Feyenoord Rotterdam

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...

 rumoured to be interested. No move materialised and the former Holland Youth and Under-21

Netherlands national under-21 football team

The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....

international had no choice but to stay in the Newcastle reserves. He retired in 2004 after one final season at AGOVV Apeldoorn, and currently works as the interim manage for NAC.