Michael Reiziger
Reiziger in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael John Reiziger | ||
| Date of birth | 3 May 1973 | ||
| Place of birth | Amstelveen, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Sint Martinus | |||
| 1985–1990 | Ajax | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1990–1996 | Ajax | 83 | (1) |
| 1992–1993 | → Volendam (loan) | 10 | (2) |
| 1993–1994 | → Groningen (loan) | 34 | (6) |
| 1996–1997 | Milan | 10 | (0) |
| 1997–2004 | Barcelona | 173 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | Middlesbrough | 22 | (1) |
| 2005–2007 | PSV | 24 | (1) |
| Total | 356 | (11) | |
| National team | |||
| 1994–2004 | Netherlands | 72 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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Michael John Reiziger (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɑi̯kəl ˈd͡ʒɔn ˈrɛi̯zəɣər], born 3 May 1973) is a retired Dutch footballer who played mainly as a right back.
After making a name for himself at Ajax, with whom he won one Champions League, he went on to represent four teams in four countries, most notably Barcelona for which he played in 249 official games in seven years.
Reiziger played one full decade with the Dutch national team, representing the nation in three European Championships and the 1998 World Cup, finishing fourth in the latter tournament.
Born in Amstelveen, North Holland to Surinamese parents, Reiziger started his career with hometown's AFC Ajax, making his first-team debuts at the age of 17 then serving two consecutive loan spells, with FC Volendam and FC Groningen: with the latter, in the 1993–94 season, he scored a career-best six goals, while operating also as a midfielder.
Upon his return to Ajax, Reiziger established himself as a renowned defensive element, helping the club to, among other conquests, the 1994–95 Champions League. In 1996, he signed for A.C. Milan, but after an injury-hit season, he departed for FC Barcelona, where he spent the following seven years, arriving at the same time as countrymen and former Ajax boss Louis van Gaal: almost never an undisputed starter, he did manage to feature heavily for the Catalans, amassing more than 200 overall appearances and helping the club to back-to-back La Liga titles.
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