Dirk Kuyt

Dirk Kuyt was born in the Dutch coastal town of Katwijk aan Zee on the 22nd July 1980. He joined local side Quick Boys at the age of five and remained there until he moved to Eredivisie side FC Utrecht aged 18. He spent five years (1998-2003) at Utrecht, making 160 appearances and scoring 51 goals, before moving to Rotterdam giants Feyenoord for a €1million fee.

Kuyt became a firm fan favourite with the De Kuip faithful, and his debut season in 2003-2004 saw him net 20 goals in 34 league games. The next season he was even more prolific, finding the net on 29 occasions from just 34 outings. In the 2005-2006 season Kuyt was handed the captain's armband and went on to score 22 goals in 33 games. Despite his goals, Kuyt never tasted success at Feyenoord, as the club finished no higher than third in his three seasons there. Kuyt missed just five games in his seven seasons in the Eredivisie.

In the summer of 2006 Kuyt joined Liverpool in a £9million move. His first season saw him play 48 times, scoring 14 goals in all competitions, including the Liverpool goal in their 2-1 Champions League final defeat to AC Milan. At Liverpool he was moved from a striking role to a wider role but he still managed 11 goals in 48 appearances in the 2007-2008 season, whilst in the 2008-2009 season he helped Liverpool finish second in the league. 

By this point Kuyt had won idol status with Anfield fans. His valiant hard working approach was hard not to admire. The 2009-2010 season was disappointing for Liverpool as they finished in 7th place, but Kuyt did score a hat-trick against Manchester United. They improved to finish 6th the following season. The 2011-2012 season saw Kuyt win his first piece of silverware for the club, as they triumphed over Cardiff in the 2012 League Cup final. However, this proved to be Kuyt's final season at the club. In all competitions he played 286 games for Liverpool, scoring 71 times.

In June 2012, Turkish club Fenerbahce exploited a stipulation in Kuyt's contract that allowed him to join for just £1million. His debut season was a success for the club; he scored 15 goals in 41 games and won the Turkish Cup.

Kuyt was a starting member of the 2010 Netherlands World Cup side, who finished runners-up to Spain. He has played 94 times for his country and has scored 24 goals.

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