Pierre Van Hooijdonk

Pierre Van Hooijdonk - Career Overview:

Club Career:

• Van Hooijdonk had a prolific goal-scoring career, playing as a striker.
• He played for various clubs across Europe during his professional career.

International Career:

• Capped 46 times for the Netherlands national team.
• Scored 14 goals for the national team.
• Participated in major tournaments:1998 FIFA World Cup
• Euro 2000
• Euro 2004

Notable Achievements:

• Known for his exceptional skill in taking bending free kicks.
• Regarded by some as one of the greatest free-kick specialists of all time.

Early Life:

• Born on November 29, 1969, in Steenbergen, Netherlands.
• Raised in Welberg, a small village near Steenbergen.
• His Moroccan biological father left before his birth.
• Started playing football at a young age and joined NAC Breda's youth squad at 11.
• Initially played as a right midfielder but switched to become a striker.
• Played for local team SC Welberg's youth squad and later joined VV Steenbergen in amateur football.

Pierre van Hooijdonk's career is marked by his goal-scoring prowess, particularly his skill in taking free kicks. His contributions to both club and country, along with his notable technique in set-pieces, have left a lasting impact on football enthusiasts.

Pierre van Hooijdonk - Club Career Overview:

• Early Career:
  • Made his debut for RBC Roosendaal in the 1988–89 season.
  • Impressed as a substitute, scoring three goals.
  • Played a significant role in the second half of the season, scoring six goals in 32 matches.
  • Signed his first professional contract with RBC.
  • Joined NAC Breda, scoring 27 times in 37 matches and helping the team win promotion to the Eredivisie in 1993.
  • Scored 81 goals in 115 appearances for NAC.

• Celtic:
  • Joined Celtic in 1995, won the Scottish Cup in his first season.
  • Outstanding 1995–96 season with 32 goals, finishing as the top scorer in the league.
  • Known for his prowess at scoring from free kicks.
  • Departed Celtic amid a wage dispute in the 1996–97 season after scoring 52 goals in 84 appearances.

• Nottingham Forest:
  • Joined Nottingham Forest in a deal worth up to £4.5 million.
  • Arrived during a relegation battle but couldn't prevent Forest from being relegated.
  • The following season (1997–98), Forest won the title and promotion with van Hooijdonk scoring 34 goals.
  • Clashed with manager Dave Bassett and desired a move to PSV Eindhoven.
  • Returned to play after a stand-off, but Forest struggled and were relegated.
  • Scored 6 goals in 19 starts in the Premier League in the 1998–99 season.

• Vitesse:
  • Returned to the Netherlands, joining SBV Vitesse at the end of the 1998–99 season.
  • Scored 25 goals, helping Vitesse secure a UEFA Cup spot.

• Benfica:
  • Joined Benfica in 2000, playing one season and scoring 19 goals.
  • Faced structural problems at the club and returned to the Netherlands at the end of the season.

• Feyenoord:
  • Joined Feyenoord, won the UEFA Cup in the 2001–02 season.
  • Remembered for his free-kick abilities during his time at Feyenoord.

• Later Career:
  • Joined Fenerbahçe SK at the beginning of the 2003–04 season, winning the Süper Lig title.
  • Returned to NAC Breda in mid-2005 and later jined Feyenoord again during the 2005–06 season.
  • Announced retirement in October 2006 and played his final professional match in May 2007.

• Overall Achievements:
  • Played 550 games and scored 335 goals in the highest leagues during 18 seasons of professional football.

Pierre van Hooijdonk's club career was marked by prolific goal-scoring spells, memorable achievements, and his reputation as a free-kick specialist. His journey took him across various clubs in Europe, contributing significantly to each team he played for.

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition;

References;

1. "Pierre van Hooijdonk". Turkish Football Federation. Archived from the original on 1 April 2020.
2. "Pierre van Hooijdonk: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
3. Rice, Simon (11 September 2009). "The Ten Best Free-Kick Specialists: Pierre Van Hooijdonk". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2020.
4. Woo, Jonathan (3 May 2011). "World Football: Ranking the Top 10 Long Free Kick Specialists of All-Time". Bleacher Report. Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
5. Kyle, Gregor (17 January 2019). "The art of the free-kick, with former Celtic star Pierre van Hooijdonk". Football Scotland. Glasgow: Reach Scotland. Retrieved 23 February 2020. Van Hooijdonk stands alongside Sinisa Mihajlovic, Andrea Pirlo and Juninho Pernambucano as one of the all-time great free-kick takers, ...
6. "V.V. "Steenbergen"". Vvsteenbergen.nl. 6 July 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
7. "Celtic's compensation". The Independent. 27 May 1995. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
8. Gordon Thomson. The worst sporting diplomats Archived 2 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine Observer Sport Monthly, 2 March 2003, Retrieved 11 January 2007
9. The big interview: Pierre Van Hooijdonk - "I should've waited before going on strike at Forest... but Dave Bassett was a snake", FourFourTwo; Flanagan, Chris, November 23, 2016
10. "Van still the man but Gayle blows down Bassett's house of straw". Guardian. 7 November 1998. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
11. "head to head". Racing Post. Retrieved 6 July 2009.
12. "Forest's Flying Dutchman arrives late again". Guardian. 14 December 1998. Retrieved 7 August 2020.

Pierre Van Hooijdonk, Pi-Air [Best Goals];

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