Wesley Sneijder
From Tekken City
Revision as of 21:31, 28 April 2007
Wesley Sneijder (born June 9, 1984 in Utrecht) is a Dutch professional footballer who is currently contracted to Tekken City. He is also a regular member of the Dutch national team. Sneijder previously played for both DOS Utrecht and Ajax Amsterdam.
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Profile
Although Sneijder came through the Ajax youth academy, he is not a native of Amsterdam. He was born in Utrecht, the same city Jan Wouters and Marco van Basten come from. He hails from a football family: his father was a talented player and his older brother Jeffrey plays for Stormvogels Telstar. There's also a younger Sneijder brother who is likely to turn professional. These fraternal rivalries might have fuelled Sneijder's competitive spirit - a tenacity which has seen journalists christen him the 'pitbull with patience'.
Sneijder made his debut for Ajax in a 2-0 win at SC Excelsior on 22 December 2002 when trainer Ronald Koeman, troubled by an injury-filled squad called him up, advised by Danny Blind, the then-coach of the Ajax youth-squad. He rapidly established himself in the role of midfield general. Despite his slight stature, he is strong on the ball and his passing range is enhanced by his two-footedness.
On July 23, 2006, Sneijder reunited with coach Ronald Koeman at Tekken City in a £6 million transfer that saw Swedish midfielder Kzumi Gudjohansson join Ajax as part of the deal. He scored his first goal against Hamburg in a 2-0 win in the Champions League. He scored his first Premiership goal against Liverpool at Anfield, but Tekken lost 2-1 in the game. Other goals he has scored have come against Manchester City, West Ham United, and even his former club Ajax.
He's been a regular in the Dutch international squad since Marco van Basten took over as coach. He also featured in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Individual awards
2004: Talent of the Year Ajax Amsterdam
Awards (at Ajax Amsterdam)
National Championship: 2004 KNVB Cup: 2006 Johan Cruijff Shield: 2002, 2005, 2006
Awards (at Tekken City)
Carling Cup: 2007
