The next destination of our alphabetical world tour is the Netherlands. The nearly-men of world football, Oranje have reached three World Cup finals and lost each time. Nonetheless, they remain a major footballing nation and are enjoying a resurgence after missing the last two major tournaments.
According to the Premier League website, 133 players have represented the Netherlands in the Premier League, including one on the very first day of the Premier League season.
First Player – Hans Segers (Wimbledon; 1992-96).
A stalwart of the early Premier League years whose career went south fast, Hans Segers began the Premier League era as Wimbledon’s first-choice goalkeeper. After four years with Nottingham Forest in the 1980s, Segers joined the Dons in 1988 following the Crazy Gang’s FA Cup triumph.
His career was somewhat derailed after being accused of match-fixing in 1994 and though he was eventually acquitted in 1997, he and Liverpool keeper Bruce Grobbelaar were later found guilty of breaching betting regulations by the FA.
After leaving Wimbledon in 1996, Segers made a shock return to the Premier League two years later with Spurs, making one further top-flight appearance.
Most Appearances: George Boateng – 384 (Coventry, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Hull; 1999-2010)
A tough-tackling defensive midfielder, George Boateng made 384 Premier League appearances over 12 years in England with four clubs.
His work often went unnoticed, but he was instrumental in Middlesbrough’s remarkable run to the UEFA Cup Final in 2005/06, as Boro lost to Sevilla at the final hurdle.
Though Boateng missed just 78 Premier League games between 2000/01 and 2009/10, he was never able to establish himself in the Netherlands national team, winning just four caps.
Top Scorer: Robin van Persie – 144 (Arsenal, Manchester United; 2004-15)
A Premier League legend, Robin van Persie joined Arsenal in 2004 on the back of the Gunners’ invincible campaign.
Though his goal returns were not special in his early Premier League career (he reached double figures only once in his first four seasons), he exploded into life and was one of the most lethal strikers in England at the turn of the decade.
He scored 30 goals in 2011/12, but swapped the Emirates for Old Trafford in the summer, much to the ire of Arsenal fans. His decision was somewhat vindicated however, as he finished as the league’s top scorer for a second successive campaign and won the first Premier League title of his career.
Current Players
15 Dutch players appeared in the Premier League in 2019/20 before the suspension. Liverpool duo Virgil van Dijk and Georginio Wijnaldum have missed just one Premier League game between them before the lockdown, whilst Tim Krul (Norwich), Davy Pröpper (Brighton and Hove Albion) and Anwar El Ghazi (Aston Villa) have also made 25 or more appearances.
Trivia
- 12 Dutch players have won the Premier League.
- Former Ipswich winger Martijn Reuser scored the final ever club goal at the old Wembley Stadium, netting the final goal of Ipswich’s 4-2 playoff final win over Barnsley in 2000.
- Robin van Persie (5), Ruud van Nistelrooy (5) and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (4) have all scored four or more Premier League hat-tricks.
- Former Fulham and Everton defender John Heitinga is one of only five players to have received a red card in a World Cup final.
