Workman Kuyt not angling for praise
This is not my article. It’s an article on AFP by Benoit Noel, on Dirk Kuyt, a player that I admire quite a lot.
JOHANNESBURG, June 21, 2010
Dutch right winger Dirk Kuyt comes from a fishing family and in his selfless and hardworking style on the pitch he has never been one to go angling for compliments or praise.
The 29-year-old, who scored his side’s second goal in the opening World Cup 2-0 win over Denmark, has proved that he will give evrything for the cause for club and country.
This season alone he has played 65 times 53 matches for Liverpool, scoring 11 times, and 12 for the Dutch, hitting the back of the net on four occasions.
Kuyt insists that he is not tired – a complaint often voiced by others at the finals – and is enjoying every second of the tournament which saw the Dutch become the first side to qualify for the second round when Denmark beat Cameroon on Saturday.
Kuyt, who was born in the fishing town of Katwijk and who seemed to be destined to become a fisherman like his parents, doesn’t mind that his place in the starting line-up of Dutch footballing artists is constantly called into question by the domestic media.
“It is obvious, I am not the same type of player,” said Kuyt.
“I don’t have the same qualities, I have others. I am different.
“At the base of it (the criticism) it is what gives me my strength.
Kuyt’s battling qualities, forged in the unforgiving climate of his birthplace, were recognised by the coach of his first professional club, FC Utrecht.
“He was not the subtlest of players but on account of his workrate, he became the best player,” said Mark Wotte.
Kuyt really blossomed at Feyenoord where he scored an impressive 83 goals in 122 matches (from 2003 to 2006), and earned himself a 15million euros transfer to English Premier League giants Liverpool in 2006, where then coach Rafael Benitez switched him from centre forward to wide on the right.
While it obviously dried up his ratio of goals to matches played, it helped him in terms of establishing his place in the Dutch team as his opportunities had been limited up front by Ruud van Nistelrooy’s presence.
He is so honest and without ego that even when Arsenal forward Robin van Persie said that there should be no place for him in the attacking first choice quartet at the World Cup – that it should be van Persie, Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben – he simply shrugged it off.
“Robin was right, those are four fantastic players,” admitted Kuyt.
“But a team doesn’t consist of just 11 players. I don’t feel bitter towards Van Persie who I am sure walked into a trap laid by a journalist.”
AFP
The 29-year-old, who scored his side’s second goal in the opening World Cup 2-0 win over Denmark, has proved that he will give evrything for the cause for club and country.
This season alone he has played 65 times 53 matches for Liverpool, scoring 11 times, and 12 for the Dutch, hitting the back of the net on four occasions.
Kuyt insists that he is not tired – a complaint often voiced by others at the finals – and is enjoying every second of the tournament which saw the Dutch become the first side to qualify for the second round when Denmark beat Cameroon on Saturday.
Kuyt, who was born in the fishing town of Katwijk and who seemed to be destined to become a fisherman like his parents, doesn’t mind that his place in the starting line-up of Dutch footballing artists is constantly called into question by the domestic media.
“It is obvious, I am not the same type of player,” said Kuyt.
“I don’t have the same qualities, I have others. I am different.
“At the base of it (the criticism) it is what gives me my strength.
Kuyt’s battling qualities, forged in the unforgiving climate of his birthplace, were recognised by the coach of his first professional club, FC Utrecht.
“He was not the subtlest of players but on account of his workrate, he became the best player,” said Mark Wotte.
Kuyt really blossomed at Feyenoord where he scored an impressive 83 goals in 122 matches (from 2003 to 2006), and earned himself a 15million euros transfer to English Premier League giants Liverpool in 2006, where then coach Rafael Benitez switched him from centre forward to wide on the right.
While it obviously dried up his ratio of goals to matches played, it helped him in terms of establishing his place in the Dutch team as his opportunities had been limited up front by Ruud van Nistelrooy’s presence.
He is so honest and without ego that even when Arsenal forward Robin van Persie said that there should be no place for him in the attacking first choice quartet at the World Cup – that it should be van Persie, Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Arjen Robben – he simply shrugged it off.
“Robin was right, those are four fantastic players,” admitted Kuyt.
“But a team doesn’t consist of just 11 players. I don’t feel bitter towards Van Persie who I am sure walked into a trap laid by a journalist.”
AFP
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