The rise and rise of Dirk Kuyt
Rotterdam - French daily sports newspaper L’Equipe reports that Olympique Lyon are interested in signing Feyenoord striker Dirk Kuyt, now that it has become clear that their efforts to sign Liverpool’s Czech striker Milan Baros have fallen through. Ironically Liverpool had hoped to offload Baros in order to make room in the squad for… Dirk Kuyt. With Liverpool and Lyon chasing the Dutch international, it seems the European footballing elite is finally sitting up and taking notice of a player that has been steadily growing into a first class striker over the last three years, but up and till this season has always been belittled by his critics.
Doubters
For years the now 24-year old Kuyt, who was a regular in the Dutch youth squad, was written off by many as a hard working but essentially limited player, the product of a generation devoid of real talent. Even when Dutch national coach Marco van Basten started to take an serious interest in Kuyt at the beginning of last season, many doubters remained, with Kuyt being compared unfavourably to strikers such as Ruud van Nistelrooij, Roy Makaay, and even the chronically overrated Patrick Kluivert.
In the international matches that followed Kuyt quickly proved his detractors wrong, even though having to play as a winger. Kuyt did not complain about being played out of position, but got on with the job at hand. His energetic performances have made Kuyt one of the main symbols of the new-style Dutch national team that Van Basten has forged since his appointment last summer. The former World footballer of the Year has shown a tendency to pick players who exude energy and enthusiasm over those with established reputations but lacking the discipline to subjugate their own desire to shine to the needs of the team. It is no accident that the appointment of Marco van Basten has meant the end of the international careers of Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert.
Rise of Dirk Kuyt
Kuyt (or rather Kuijt, as his name is actually spelt) made his debut in the Dutch ‘Eredivisie’ at age 18 after having been signed by FC Utrecht from his home town club. He wasted no time establishing himself as a first team regular, but it was not all clear sailing. Although by nature a centre-forward, Kuyt frequently found himself playing as a winger, with Utrecht preferring to play Serbian striker Igor Glusevic up front.
At the start of the 2003/2003 season the newly appointed Utrecht coach Foeke Booy, himself a former centre forward, decided that Kuyt’s talents were being wasted on the wing and moved him to the centre. Kuyt dutifully repaid his coach’s confidence by playing a very strong season, scoring 20 goals and guiding Utrecht to the final of the Dutch Cup. Utrecht found themselves lifting the Cup after scoring a shock victory over Feyenoord, with Dirk Kuyt crowned man of the match.
At that point Kuyt’s strong form had already earned him a transfer to cup final opponents Feyenoord. In Rotterdam, Kuyt was faced with the unenviable task of following in the footsteps of Pierre van Hooijdonk, who had played such an important part in Feyenoord’s 2002 UEFA-Cup triumph. Van Hooijdonk had left the club for Turkey's Fenerbache in acrimonious circumstances before the start of the 2003/2004 season, after demanding an increase in pay.
There were those that doubted whether Kuyt would be up to the job, arguing that he lacked the skill to make it at a big club. In typical style Kuyt, who had been looking forward to playing alongside the experienced Van Hooijdonk, did not complain at the partnership falling through, and just got on with things. Playing a strong season, at the beginning of which he was for a brief period once again played as winger, he ended up equalling his previous season’s tally of 20 goals.
His second year at the club was to prove even more impressive. At the end of the 2004/2005 season, with 29 league goals and 10 caps under his belt, Dirk Kuyt has finally silenced his critics. He is recognised as by far the best striker in the Dutch league and no Dutch football fan in his right mind would nowadays dream of disagreeing with Van Basten’s decisions to make Kuyt a regular feature in the national team. Even legendary Dutch greats like Johan Cruijf and Wim van Hanegem have been singing Kuyt’s praise.
Strengths and weaknesses
Kuyt’s main strength is that he combines the work rate of the sort of forwards that are appreciated by coaches because of their effort for the team (but tend not to score that many goals), with the ability to produce the steady stream of goals associated with more predatory strikers.
As for weaknesses, it is becoming increasingly difficult to list any. Perhaps the fact that, although there is nothing wrong with his basic technique, Kuyt lacks the shear class of players like Bergkamp and Robben. He is not likely to leave two opponents for dead with a flashy move. Kuyt also lacks the pure predatory instinct of out-and-out goalscorers like Batistuta, Van Nistelrooij and Makaay, who seem to concentrate exclusively on scoring goals. Kuyt, who’s equally comfortable scoring with his feet and with his head, seems as happy providing a goal for one of his team-mates, as he is scoring himself.
On the pitch, Kuyt is forever in motion, creating space for himself, hindering the opponent’s build up play, and getting back to help out in midfield or even defence. It has prompted Marco van Basten to suggest that he would not mind seeing Kuyt taking it just a little bit easier on the pitch.
The perennially modest Kuyt would likely be the first to concede that there is always room for improvement. However the fact that Van Basten has admitted giving very serious consideration to dropping Ruud van Nistelrooij from the starting line-up in favour of Kuyt for Holland’s most recent game (a 4-0 away win over Finland), speaks volumes as to how meteorically Kuyt’s star has risen during the last year.
Future
As to Kuyt’s future, it is clear that he will be moving to one of the big European clubs sooner or later. Dirk Kuyt signed an extended deal last year in which his wages were significantly increased, and that should theoretically keep him in Rotterdam untill the summer of 2009. However the club made it clear at the time that they would not stand in Kuyt’s way, should a ‘dream-club’ show an interest in the player and be willing to pay a fitting transfer-fee. It is rumoured that Feyenoord (who signed Kuyt two years ago for a preposterously low fee of 1 million Euro) and the player have agreed that 15 million Euro would be ‘fitting’ should a club want to sign Kuyt.
According to newspaper reports Liverpool are hoping to sign Kuyt for 10 million Euro, with a few players thrown in (former Feyenoord goalie Jurek Dudek foremost amongst the names mentioned) to sweeten the deal. Although a return of the very popular Dudek would go over well with many fans, it seems unlikely that Feyenoord will allow Kuyt to leave for a penny less than the agreed fee of 15 million Euro.
Both player and club have gone on the record stating that Kuyt will play for Feyenoord for at least another year. Nothing is certain in the world football, but it does seem like next summer might be the best time for a Kuyt move. Although he has convinced the Dutch football world about his abilities, Kuyt is still pretty much unknown internationally.
With Kuyt, however, now a regular in a Dutch national team that has qualification for the 2006 World Cup almost wrapped up, the Feyenoord management knows that it is only a matter of time before more clubs sit up and take notice. Should Kuyt tap in a few goals in Germany, they would certainly have no problems getting the fee they are after.
, anyways, good news if hes travelled to Liverpool. Maybe our first signing is edging closer.
Lol mate sorry to dissapoint you but Im just a scouse scally 
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