Ruud van Nistelrooy

Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud-van-Nistelrooy.jpg
Personal information
Full name Rutgerus Johannes
Martinus van Nistelrooij
Date of birth 1 July 1976 (1976-07-01) (age 33)
Place of birth    Oss, Netherlands
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club Real Madrid
Number 17
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1993–1997
1997–1998
1998–2001
2001–2006
2006–		 Den Bosch
SC Heerenveen
PSV Eindhoven
Manchester United
Real Madrid		 069 (17)
031 (13)
067 (62)
150 (95)
067 (45)   
National team2
1998–2008 Netherlands 064 (33)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of September 26, 2008.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 20:26, 4 August 2008 (UTC).
* Appearances (Goals)

Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (commonly spelled as van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976 in Oss, North Brabant) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid C.F. He is currently the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with sixty goals. He is a three-time Champions League top scorer, as well as a top scorer in three different European domestic leagues.

Contents

Club career

Early career

Van Nistelrooy started his professional career in 1993 with Dutch second division side FC Den Bosch, where he was converted from a central defender to centre forward after playing part-time for Nooit Gedacht and Magriet. After netting twelve goals in 31 games in the 1996-97 campaign, he transferred for €350.000 to SC Heerenveen the next year, and scored thirteen goals in 31 matches in his only season with the club. He was then signed by PSV Eindhoven the next season for €6.3 million, a then-record transfer sum between two Dutch teams.

He scored 31 goals in 34 matches, the highest season total in the Eredivisie and second-highest in Europe overall, in addition to scoring all three of PSV's goals in a Champions League match against HJK Helsinki on 25 November 1998. Van Nistelrooy capped off the year by winning the Dutch Player of the Year award. The next season, he won his second Eredivisie scoring title with 29 goals. According to a 2001 interview with The Telegraph, Manchester United coach Alex Ferguson said that his son, Darren, who was at tryouts for Eredivisie rival SC Heerenveen at the time, begged his father, "You've got to sign van Nistelrooy right away, he's fantastic. We've been watching him."[1] Ferguson sent team representatives to PSV's next league game, and signed van Nistelrooy the next day.[1]

Just as an £18.5 million transfer to Manchester United in the summer of 2000 was finalized and a press conference was arranged to announce van Nistelrooy's arrival, he suffered ruptured cruciate knee ligaments during a training session and the deal was axed.[2] When the transaction was finalised in April 2001, United were forced to pay PSV an additional £500,000 for the player's services.

Manchester United

van Nistelrooy against Chelsea in April 2006

Van Nistelrooy signed a five-year contract after passing his medical.[3] He downplayed United's £19 million investment to reporters, saying, "The price is not heavy for me - it lifts me up because it means United have big confidence in me."[1] During his first season, van Nistelrooy scored 23 goals in 32 league games, ending the year on a league-record eight-game consecutive scoring streak. He also scored ten Champions League goals, and was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year.

In the 2002-03 season, van Nistelrooy scored a team-record 44 goals in 52 European and domestic matches, including twelve Champions League goals in ten games. He finished as the top Premiership scorer with twenty-five in 34 games, including three hat-tricks, and he ended the season on another eight-game scoring streak.[4] He started the 2003–04 season by scoring twice in his first two league matches, which boosted his consecutive-games record to ten. He scored his hundredth goal for the club in a 4–3 victory over Everton F.C. on 7 February 2004.

Van Nistelrooy missed most of the 2004–05 season due to injury, but nonetheless scored a Champions League-best eight goals. One of them was his thirtieth career European goal, which he scored in a 2-2 CL group stage draw with Olympique Lyonnais on 16 September 2004, overtaking Denis Law's previous club record of twenty-eight goals. Law later said to reporters, "I'm delighted for Ruud. It could not happen to a nicer guy."[5] Manchester United were eliminated by eventual finalists Milan in the knockout stage after going scoreless in both legs.

At the start of the 2005–06 season, van Nistelrooy scored in United's first four Premiership games. He finished as the second-highest league scorer with twenty-one goals, behind Arsenal's Thierry Henry. By the end of his fifth season with United, van Nistelrooy had amassed 150 goals in fewer than 200 starts.

Van Nistelrooy was benched for the League Cup final against Wigan Athletic F.C., fueling speculation of a rift between him and coach Alex Ferguson, which van Nistelrooy denied. He was nonetheless left on the bench for six consecutive league matches, and though he then returned to the starting lineup and scored match-winners against West Ham United and Bolton Wanderers F.C., fresh doubt spread over van Nistelrooy's future when he was benched for United's season-finale win over Charlton Athletic. Ferguson claimed that van Nistelrooy was angry at the decision and left the stadium three hours before kickoff.

On 9 May 2006, Setanta Sports reported that van Nistelrooy's exclusion from the squad was due to a training-session fight between him and teammate Cristiano Ronaldo. Van Nistelrooy allegedly criticised Ronaldo's tendency to hold onto the ball instead of passing to his teammates, which sparked the fight, after which van Nistelrooy remarked, "Go crying to your daddy." The article claimed that this was not a reference to Ronaldo's father (who had died earlier in the season), but to United's Portuguese assistant coach, Carlos Queiroz.[6]

Van Nistelrooy signed with Spanish side Real Madrid C.F. on 28 July 2006, departing Manchester United after five seasons with a total of 150 goals in 219 appearances, as well as the club's all-time European scoring record with thirty-eight goals.

Real Madrid

Van Nistelrooy getting off a plane with Real Madrid

On July 14, Ferguson confirmed that van Nistelrooy wanted to leave Manchester United, and Real Madrid announced two weeks later that he had signed a three-year contract after being purchased for €18 million.[7]

Van Nistelrooy scored a hat-trick in his second league match against Levante UD, and on 12 November 2006, he scored all four of Real Madrid's goals in a 4-1 victory over CA Osasuna. He won the league's Pichichi award with twenty-five goals as Real Madrid took home the 2006-07 title, and he also equaled the longest consecutive scoring streak in La Liga history with seven straight matches, tying a league record shared by Hugo Sanchez.[8]

In January 2008, van Nistelrooy signed a contract extension keeping him with Madrid until 2010, with the expiration date one day shy of his thirty-fourth birthday.[9] He underwent ankle surgery in March,[10] and returned for the El Clásico derby against FC Barcelona on 7 May, in which he netted a penalty two minutes after coming on as a substitute.[11] He finished the season with twenty goals in thirty-two appearances.

In November 2008, Real Madrid announced that van Nistelrooy would miss the remainder of the 2008-09 season after exploratory arthroscopic surgery revealed a partially torn meniscus in his right knee, with an expected recovery time of six to nine months following a second operation to repair the damage.[12] Van Nistelrooy had travelled to the United States to see specialist Richard Steadman, who had previously operated on the same knee back in 2000. At the time of his injury, he had ten goals in ten club appearances for the season.[13]

International career

Van Nistelrooy training in Germany during the World Cup

Van Nistelrooy has 64 caps and thirty-three goals for the Netherlands. His first tournament was Euro 2004, where he and the Czech Republic's Milan Baroš were the only players to score in all three group stage matches.

He was part of coach Marco van Basten's squad for the 2006 World Cup finals, for which he served as the official FIFA/SOS ambassador.[14] He started, and was substituted, in all of the Netherlands' group stage matches, and scored his lone goal against the Ivory Coast. van Nistelrooy was benched for the Netherlands' final match, which saw them eliminated in the knockout stage by Portugal.

Van Basten left van Nistelrooy off the squad for a friendly against the Republic of Ireland on 16 August 2006.[15] Dirk Kuyt replaced van Nistelrooy in their next match against Portugal in September.[16] After Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was unavailable for Euro 2008 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Belarus due to injury, van Nistelrooy refused van Basten's request to take his place on the roster.

Van Nistelrooy (right) with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar

On 23 January 2007, van Nistelrooy announced his retirement from international football.[17] However, after several phone conversations, both player and coach put aside their differences, and van Basten announced four months later that van Nistelrooy was returning to the Oranje.[18][19] On 8 September, Van Nistelrooy filled Huntelaar's spot, as previously requested, for the qualifier against Bulgaria, scoring in a 2-0 victory,[20] and scored the winning goal four days later in injury time of the Netherlands' win over Albania.

In Euro 2008, Van Nistelrooy scored for the Netherlands' in their decisive 3-0 victory over Italy in the group stage, and again in their 1-3 loss to Russia in the quarterfinals. On August 4, he again announced his retirement from international competition.[21][22]

Personal life

Van Nistelrooy married his girlfriend, Leontien Slaats, in July 2004. The couple had their first child, a girl named Moa Annette, in September 2006, and a son, Liam, in March 2008.[23][24][25]

Statistics

Club

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Netherlands League KNVB Cup League Cup Europe Total
1993-94 Den Bosch Eerste Divisie 2 0 - -
1994-95 15 3 - -
1995-96 21 2 - -
1996-97 31 12 - -
1997-98 Heerenveen Eredivisie 31 13 - -
1998-99 PSV Eindhoven Eredivisie 34 31 5 1 - 7 6
1999-2000 23 29 2 0 - 8 3
2000-01 10 2 2 3 - -
England League FA Cup Football League Cup Europe Total
2001-02 Manchester United Premier League 32 23 2 2 0 0 14 10 49 36
2002-03 34 25 3 4 4 1 11 14 52 44
2003-04 32 20 4 6 0 0 7 4 44 30
2004-05 17 6 3 2 0 0 7 8 27 16
2005-06 35 21 2 0 2 1 8 2 47 24
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
2006-07 Real Madrid La Liga 37 25 3 2 - 7 6 47 33
2007–08 24 16 3 0 - 7 4 34 20
2008–09 6 4 0 0 2 3 4 3 12 10
Total Netherlands 168 92 9 4 - 15 9 191 105
England 150 95 14 14 6 2 47 38 219 150
Spain 67 45 4 2 2 3 18 13 93 63
Career Total 384 232 27 20 8 5 80 60 504 321

National team

All-time national team performance
National Team Year Friendlies International
Competition		 Total Goals per match
App Goals App Goals App  Goals
Netherlands 1998 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
1999 8 1 0 0 8 1 0.125
2000 1 0 0 0 1 0 0
2001 2 1 5 6 7 7 1
2002 3 1 1 0 4 1 0.25
2003 2 0 6 5 8 5 0.625
2004 4 0 7 6 11 6 0.545
2005 1 0 8 5 9 5 0.556
2006 2 2 3 1 5 3 0.6
2007 1 0 4 2 5 2 0.4
2008 2 1 3 2 5 3 0.6
Total 27 6 37 26 64 33 0.516
International goals[26]
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 1999-04-28 Gelredome, Arnhem, Netherlands Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco 1-2 1-2 Friendly
2 2001-04-25 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus 4-0 4-0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
3 2001-06-02 Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 2-2 2-4 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
4 2001-06-02 Lilleküla Stadium, Tallinn, Estonia Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 2-3 2-4 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
5 2001-08-15 White Hart Lane, London, England Flag of England.svg England 0-2 0-2 Friendly
6 2001-09-05 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 5-0 5-0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 2001-10-06 Gelredome, Arnhem, Netherlands Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra 3-0 4-0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
8 2001-10-06 Gelredome, Arnhem, Netherlands Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra 4-0 4-0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification
9 2002-11-20 Arena Auf Schalke, Gelsenkirchen, Germany Flag of Germany.svg Germany 1-3 1-3 Friendly match
10 2003-03-29 De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic 1-0 1-1 UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifying
11 2003-04-02 Sheriff Stadium, Tiraspol, Moldova Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova 1-1 1-2 UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifying
12 2003-11-19 Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland 3-0 6-0 UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifying
13 2003-11-19 Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland 4-0 6-0 UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifying
14 2003-11-19 Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland 6-0 6-0 UEFA Euro 2004 Qualifying
15 2004-06-15 Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal Flag of Germany.svg Germany 1-1 1-1 UEFA Euro 2004
16 2004-06-19 Estádio Municipal de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic 2-0 2-3 UEFA Euro 2004
17 2004-06-23 Estádio Municipal de Braga, Braga, Portugal Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia 1-0 3-0 UEFA Euro 2004
18 2004-06-23 Estádio Municipal de Braga, Braga, Portugal Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia 2-0 3-0 UEFA Euro 2004
19 2004-10-13 Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands Flag of Finland.svg Finland 2-1 3-1 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
20 2004-10-13 Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands Flag of Finland.svg Finland 3-1 3-1 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
21 2005-03-30 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia 2-0 2-0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
22 2005-06-08 Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland Flag of Finland.svg Finland 0-1 0-4 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
23 2005-09-03 Hanrapetakan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia 0-1 0-1 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
24 2005-09-07 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra 3-0 4-0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
25 2005-09-07 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra 4-0 4-0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
26 2006-05-27 De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon 1-0 1-0 Friendly
27 2006-06-04 De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands Flag of Australia.svg Australia 1-0 1-1 Friendly
28 2006-06-16 Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion, Stuttgart, Netherlands Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Côte d'Ivoire 2-0 2-1 2006 FIFA World Cup
29 2007-09-08 Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria 2-0 2-0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
30 2007-09-12 Qemal Stafa, Tirana, Albania Flag of Albania.svg Albania 0-1 0-1 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying
31 2008-05-29 Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark 1-0 1-1 Friendly
32 2008-06-09 Stade de Suisse, Wankdorf, Berne, Switzerland Flag of Italy.svg Italy 1-0 3-0 UEFA Euro 2008
33 2008-06-21 St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland Flag of Russia.svg Russia 1-1 1-3 UEFA Euro 2008

Honours

PSV Eindhoven

Manchester United

Real Madrid

Individual

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Van Nistelrooy in melting pot - The Telegraph, 5/9/01. Retrieved on 11/10/08.
  2. ↑ Van Nistelrooy delighted after last year's delay - The Telegraph, 4/27/01. Retrieved on 11/14/08.
  3. ↑ "Man Utd clinch Van Nistelrooy deal", BBC Sport (2001-04-23). 
  4. ↑ "Van Nistelrooy bio", manutdzone.com. 
  5. ↑ "Ruud lays down Law", bbc.co.uk (16 September, 2004). 
  6. ↑ "The facts behind Ruud's walk-out", Setanta Sports (2006-05-10). Retrieved on 2006-08-18. 
  7. ↑ "Real Madrid sign Dutch striker Van Nistelrooy", Reuters UK (2006-07-27). Retrieved on 2006-08-18. 
  8. ↑ "Van Nistelrooy goals rescue Real", BBC Sport. Retrieved on 2007-07-04. 
  9. ↑ "Van Nistelrooy extends contract with Real Madrid to 2010", reuters.com (January 10, 2008). 
  10. ↑ "Van Nistelrooy has ankle surgery", fifa.com (March 19, 2008). 
  11. ↑ "Real Madrid 4-1 Barcelona", bbc.co.uk (May 07, 2008). 
  12. ↑ Real's Van Nistelrooy out for season after knee injury - AFP, 11/13/08. Retrieved on 11/14/08.
  13. ↑ "Van Nistelrooy out for season with knee injury", ESPNSoccernet (13 November 2008). 
  14. ↑ "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages Ambassadors", SOS Children's Villages (2006-02-21). Retrieved on 2006-08-18. 
  15. ↑ "Van Basten drops Van Nistelrooy", The Australian (2006-08-12). Retrieved on 2006-08-18. 
  16. ↑ "Van Nistelrooij haalt uit naar bondscoach" (in Dutch), nos.nl (2006-09-26). Retrieved on 2007-09-06. 
  17. ↑ "Van Nistelrooy in Dutch decision", news.bbc.co.uk (2007-01-23). Retrieved on 2007-01-23. 
  18. ↑ "Ruud to make Holland return", home.skysports.com (2007-05-25). Retrieved on 2007-05-25. 
  19. ↑ "Ruud primed for Dutch return", RTÉ Sport (2007-05-25). Retrieved on 2007-05-25. 
  20. ↑ uefa.com - UEFA EURO 2008 - Fixtures & Results - Match Specific
  21. ↑ Ruizenaar, Theo (2008-08-04). "Van Nistelrooy retires from international football", Reuters UK. Retrieved on 2008-08-04. 
  22. ↑ "Van Nistelrooy quits Dutch set-up". BBC Sport (2008-08-04). Retrieved on 2008-08-04.
  23. ↑ "New father Van Nistelrooy rejoins Real squad", Yahoo! Sport (2006-09-26). Retrieved on 2007-09-06. 
  24. ↑ "Proud dad Ruud set for Real berth", CNN.com (2006-09-26). Retrieved on 2007-09-06. 
  25. ↑ "Van Nistelrooy happy", RealMadrid.com (2006-09-26). Retrieved on 2007-09-06. 
  26. ↑ "Gespeelde wedstrijden". KNVB. Retrieved on 2007-05-16.

External links

Real Madrid C.F. – current squad

1 Casillas • 2 Salgado • 3 Pepe • 4 Sergio Ramos • 5 Cannavaro • 6 Diarra • 7 Raúl • 8 Gago • 9 Saviola • 10 Sneijder • 11 Robben • 12 Marcelo • 13 Codina • 14 Guti • 15 Drenthe • 16 Heinze • 17 van Nistelrooy • 18 De la Red • 20 Higuaín • 21 Metzelder • 22 Torres • 23 van der Vaart • 24 Javi García • 25 Dudek • Coach: Juande Ramos