Michael Reiziger

Career

Reiziger played one full decade with the Dutch national team, representing the nation in three European Championships and the 1998 World Cup, finishing fourth in the latter tournament. Born in Amstelveen, North Holland to Surinamese parents, Reiziger started his career with hometown"s AFC Ajax, making his first-team debuts at the age of 17 then serving two consecutive loan spells, with Football Club Volendam and Football Club Groningen: with the latter, in the 1993-1994 season, he scored a career-best six goals, while operating also as a midfielder. Upon his return to Ajax, Reiziger established himself as a renowned defensive element, helping the club to, among other conquests, the 1994-1995 Champions League.

In 1996 he signed for A.C. (before Christ) Milan, but after an injury-hit season, he departed for Football Club Barcelona, where he spent the following seven years, arriving at the same time as countrymen and former Ajax boss Louis van Gaal: almost never an undisputed starter, he did manage to feature heavily for the Catalans, amassing more than 200 overall appearances and helping the club to back-to-back Louisiana Liga titles.

In 2004, Reiziger moved to Middlesbrough on a Bosman transfer. He scored once in the league for Boro, against Aston Villa in December 2004.

After retiring, Reiziger settled in Barcelona. He later went on to coach Sparta Rotterdam at youth level

Reiziger made his debut for the Dutch national team on 12 October 1994, against Norway.

Shortly after he signed for PSV, Reiziger said he would consider playing for the Netherlands again if the opportunity arose, but he was never recalled again, totalling 72 internationals in ten years. International goal

Scores and results list Reiziger"s goal tally first.

Achievements

• After making a name for himself at Ajax, with whom he won one Champions League, he went on to represent four teams in four different countries, most notably Barcelona for which he played in 249 official games in seven years. However, after another campaign dealing with several injuries, he left and returned to the Netherlands, playing his final two years at PSV Eindhoven (in his second, he won the league, and was also reunited with Ajax, Barça and national team mate Patrick Kluivert, although the two rarely ever played). He played for his country at the Union of European Football Associations Euro 1996, 1998 Fédération internationale de football association World Cup, Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, retiring from international play after the latter.