PLAYER PROFILE WESLEY SNEIJDER
Very few players in Europe are as versatile as Wesley Sneijder. He is an attacking midfielder who knows how to move with exquisite technique. He is also fast, possesses an excellent shot, and is deadly with either of his legs. Sneijder may be young, but he’s mature enough to be the driving force behind a team in a sticky situation and a leader in midfield. He can play as a defensive or attacking midfielder and as a right forward, where he combines perfectly when paired with a defensive-oriented teammate. Wesley is considered one of the best Dutch players to emerge from the Netherlands in the last few years.
Utrecht is more to Holland than just one of its principal financial and political centres. Players of the likes of Marco van Basten and Jan Wouters emerged from its football grounds, where Ajax scouts are always on hand in search of fresh talent, and where Wesley was discovered while playing for a local side.
Nurtured in the Ajax youth system, Sneijder quickly worked his way up until arriving at Danny Blind’s Ajax B squad. Blind was responsible for advised Ronald Koeman to promote Wesley to the first team, with whom he debuted in a 6-0 home throttling of Willem II in 2003. The midfielder was just 18 at the time, but he didn’t feel the heat of playing for a side of such historical importance and soon became the team’s stirring wheel. His opening season in the First Division couldn’t have been any better: 20 games played, four goals scored, and the Dutch league title to show for. His stats kept improving until he boomed in the 2006/07 campaign, during which he played 43 games and netted 20 strikes.
His five-year contract for Real Madrid was announced in August 2007 soon after inking an extension with Ajax. Sneijder is currently considered one of the best right-footed players at set-pieces.
Wesley debuted with the Netherlands Under-21 side against Czech Republic on 28 March 2003. His first game with the Dutch national team was against Portugal on 30 April that same year, when he became the eighth youngest man to play for Holland in the team’s history.
Sneijder reached the Euro 2004 semifinals with the Netherlands. He began the competition warming the bench, but he soon found a spot in the starting eleven and scored two goals. He was a also a starter in the four matches the Orange played in the Germany 2006 World Cup before they were eliminated by Portugal.
Football was practically a religion in his family, his father and both of his brothers sharing his passion for the sport. The Sneijder family rejoiced when they heard Wesley had been admitted into the youth system of one of the best football academies in the world.
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La Liga: 2007/08
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Dutch Eredivisie: 2003/04
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KNVB Cup: 2005/06, 2006/07
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Johan Cruijff Shield: 2002, 2005, 2006
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Dutch Player of the Year: 2007
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Dutch Talent of the Year: 2004
- Ajax (2002-2007)
- Real Madrid (2007-present)
- La Liga debut: 25 August 2007
Match: Real Madrid 2-1 Atletico Madrid - Real Madrid debut: 19 August 2007
Match: Real Madrid 3-5 Sevilla - International for the Netherlands