Sander Westerveld

Sander Westerveld

Westerveld in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Sander Westerveld [1]
Date of birth	(1974-10-23) 23 October 1974 (age 49) [2]
Place of birth	Enschede, Netherlands [3]
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) [4]
Position(s)	Goalkeeper [5]
Youth career
1980–1988	De Tubanters
1988–1994	Twente
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1995	Twente	14	(0)
1996–1999	Vitesse	101	(0)
1999–2001	Liverpool	75	(0)
2001–2005	Real Sociedad	77	(0)
2004–2005	→ Mallorca (loan)	6	(0)
2005–2006	Portsmouth	6	(0)
2006	→ Everton (loan)	2	(0)
2006–2007	Almería	34	(0)
2007–2008	Sparta Rotterdam	29	(0)
2009–2011	Monza	54	(0)
2011–2013	Ajax Cape Town	42	(0)
Total		440	(0)
International career
1999–2001	Netherlands	6	(0)
Managerial career
2013–2014	Ajax Cape Town (goalkeeping coach)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Sander Westerveld (born 23 October 1974) is a Dutch football coach and former professional player who played as a goalkeeper. He was the goalkeeping coach of South African Premier Soccer League club Ajax Cape Town.

The highlight of his playing career, spent in five countries, was a treble of the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup with Liverpool in 2001. Westerveld was included in the Netherlands' squads for Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, but, due to the consistency of Edwin van der Sar, earned six international caps over five years.

Club career

Early career and Liverpool

Westerveld's first professional match was for Twente in 1994. After two seasons there, he moved to Vitesse for three.^{[ citation needed ]}

Following the 1998–99 season, during which he helped Vitesse to qualify for Europe, Westerveld was sold to Liverpool, where he succeeded David James. He became the most expensive goalkeeper in British football when he joined the Reds for a reported fee of £4 million during the summer of 1999. Westerveld made his Liverpool debut against Sheffield Wednesday on 7 August 1999 in a 2–1 away win. ^[6] Then, on 28 August 1999, he saved a Davor Šuker penalty, as Liverpool beat Arsenal 2–0. ^[7] He was Gérard Houllier's first choice to succeed James as Anfield's number one, and Westerveld fully justified the manager's confidence by playing a leading role in Liverpool's return to Europe, conceding the fewest goals in the 1999–2000 Premier League season.^{[ citation needed ]}

He played a key role in the treble season of 2000–01 for Liverpool, emerging as the hero of the League Cup final victory over Birmingham City, making the winning save from Andrew Johnson in the penalty shoot-out. ^[8]

However, towards the end of his two-season spell at Liverpool, he was often subjected to criticism from the media. After a major mistake in a match against Bolton Wanderers on 27 August 2001, he was put on the bench by Houllier, who promptly signed two new goalkeepers, Jerzy Dudek and Chris Kirkland. He did not play again after the Bolton error, and was sold to Real Sociedad of La Liga on 16 December 2001, for £3.4 million. ^[9]

Real Sociedad

Sociedad were runners-up in La Liga in the 2002–03 season, and played in the following season's Champions League. However, that season saw him loaned to Mallorca, where Miguel Ángel Moyá kept him out of the team. His contract then expired. ^[10]

Portsmouth

In July 2005, he moved back to the Premier League with Portsmouth, being signed by Alain Perrin on a one-year contract. He was expected to be the first choice goalkeeper, ahead of Jamie Ashdown and Kostas Chalkias. However, after an inconsistent time at Fratton Park, in which he played only six league matches, he was allowed to move on a 28-day loan to Everton, rivals of his former club Liverpool, on 24 February 2006. ^[11] Everton had a temporary goalkeeping crisis in which Nigel Martyn, Richard Wright and Iain Turner were all unavailable, and Westerveld played two matches for them. When he returned to Portsmouth, he remained a substitute and was released by Harry Redknapp on 11 May 2006. ^[12]

Later career

On 28 July 2006, Westerveld signed with Segunda División club Almería for one season, ^[13] in which he helped them to achieve promotion to La Liga before leaving the club at the end of his contract.^{[ citation needed ]}

On 7 September 2007, he joined Sparta Rotterdam on a short-term contract ^[14] and in May 2008 he announced that he was to leave Sparta. ^[15]

During the summer of 2009, he signed for Italian Lega Pro Prima Divisione club Monza, after a successful trial with the club. He later joined Ajax Cape Town in South Africa where he was the number 1 goalkeeper. ^[16] At the end of the 2012–13 season, his contract was terminated, and he then became a goalkeeping coach at the club. ^[17]

International career

Westerveld made his debut for the Netherlands on 8 June 1999, in an away friendly 3–1 defeat to Brazil in Goiânia. He was included in the Dutch squad for Euro 2000, and played the last group match against France, both teams being already qualified. The last of his six caps came on 28 February 2001, in a 0–0 friendly home draw with Turkey, ^[18] although he did make the squad for Euro 2004. ^[19]

Personal life

Westerveld's father-in-law Hennie Ardesch, and son Sem Westerveld who is playing for Jong AZ, are also professional football goalkeepers. ^[20]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition^{[ citation needed ]}

Club	Season	League			National Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Twente	1994–95	Eredivisie	3	0
	1995–96	Eredivisie	11	0
	Total		14	0
Vitesse	1996–97	Eredivisie	34	0
	1997–98	Eredivisie	34	0
	1998–99	Eredivisie	33	0
	Total		101	0
Liverpool	1999–2000	Premier League	36	0
	2000–01	Premier League	38	0
	2001–02	Premier League	1	0
	Total		75	0
Real Sociedad	2001–02	La Liga	20	0
	2002–03	La Liga	37	0
	2003–04	La Liga	20	0
	Total		77	0
Mallorca (loan)	2004–05	La Liga	6	0
Portsmouth	2005–06	Premier League	6	0
Everton (loan)	2005–06	Premier League	2	0
Almería	2006–07	Segunda División	34	0
Sparta Rotterdam	2007–08	Eredivisie	29	0
Monza	2009–10	Lega Pro	30	0
	2010–11	Lega Pro	24	0
	Total		54	0
Ajax Cape Town	2011–12	ABSA Premiership	23	0
	2012–13	ABSA Premiership	19	0
	Total		42	0
Career total			440	0

Honours

Liverpool

• FA Cup: 2000–01 ^[21]
• Football League Cup: 2000–01 ^[22]
• FA Charity Shield: 2001 ^[23]
• UEFA Cup: 2000–01 ^[24]
• UEFA Super Cup: 2001 ^[25]

References

1. "Acta del Partido celebrado el 17 de junio de 2007, en Almería" [Minutes of the Match held on 17 June 2007, in Almería] (in Spanish). Royal Spanish Football Federation. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
2. "Sander Westerveld: Overview". ESPN. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
3. "Sander Westerveld". 11v11.com. AFS Enterprises. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
4. "Sander Westerveld: Overview". Premier League. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
5. "Sander Westerveld". Barry Hugman's Footballers. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
6. "Sheffield Wednesday 1–2 Liverpool". LFCHistory.net. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
7. "Fowler shoots down Arsenal". BBC Sport. 28 August 1999. Retrieved 19 October 2018.
8. "Liverpool 1–1 Birmingham City (Final Score 5–4)". LFCHistory.net. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
9. "Westerveld signs for Sociedad". BBC Sport. 16 December 2001. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
10. "Westerveld joins Pompey". Sky Sports. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
11. "Everton sign Westerveld on loan". BBC Sport. 24 February 2006. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
12. "Pompey release keeper Westerveld". BBC Sport. 11 May 2006. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
13. "Westerveld Heads For Spain". Vital Portsmouth. 26 July 2006. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
14. "ESPN: The Worldwide Leader in Sports". ESPN. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
15. Westerveld leaves Sparta – Voetbal International (in Dutch)
16. "Westerveld definitief naar Ajax Cape Town". RTV Oost (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 February 2020.
17. "New appointments in Technical Team". Ajax Cape Town. 24 June 2013.
18. "Sander Westerveld – national football team player". eu-football.info. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
19. "Netherlands Euro 2004 Squad". BigSoccer Forum. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
20. "Unique professional debut goalkeeper Sem Westerveld for Jong AZ". 5 January 2021.
21. "Owen shatters Arsenal in Cup final". BBC Sport. 12 May 2001. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
22. "Blues shot down as Liverpool lift cup". BBC Sport. 25 February 2001. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
23. "Liverpool edge out Man Utd". BBC Sport. 12 August 2001. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
24. Biggs, Matt (16 May 2001). "Liverpool 5–4 Alavés". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
25. "Liverpool sink Bayern". BBC Sport. 24 August 2001. Archived from the original on 16 October 2018.

External links

• Sander Westerveld – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Sander Westerveld – UEFA competition record ( archive ) 
• LFCHistory.net profile
• Sander Westerveld at Soccerbase
• Player profile – Sparta Rotterdam
• Career stats – Voetbal International (in Dutch)