Dirk Kuyt
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Many of the famous Dutch footballers are known for their flair and unbelievable technical ability. However, Dirk Kuyt doesn’t fit this bill because the Dutchman was famously known as a working class hero for his relentless running and tenacious gameplay. Don’t get me wrong, Kuyt was a good footballer but it was his hardworking nature that separated him from the crowd.
Kuyt played for Dutch sides Utrecht and Feyenoord before making a switch to England to play for Liverpool in 2006. In his first season with Liverpool, he went on to play the UEFA Champions League final and scored Liverpool’s only goal of the night in an eventual 2-1 defeat to AC Milan.
Although Kuyt arrived at Liverpool as a striker, he went on to play out wide or up front depending on where his team needed him. During Liverpool’s memorable 2008-09 season, Kuyt enjoyed one of his best seasons ever scoring 15 goals and formed a potent partnership with Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.
He left Liverpool in 2012 to play for Fenerbahce with whom he won the Turkish League in 2013-14. He returned to Feyenoord in 2015 at the age of 34 and was soon named the club captain.
Feyenoord put up a title challenge this season and needed a win in their final game of the season to secure the title. Captain Kuyt stepped up and scored a hat-trick to seal a win and the club’s first title in 18 years. Two days later, he also announced his retirement from football.
Kuyt has played 798 games at club level in Netherlands, England and Turkey scoring 295 goals and was also capped 104 times by the Netherlands senior team for whom he scored 24 goals.
