Sander Westerveld

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.

Sander Westerveld
Westerveld in 2011
Personal information
Full name Sander Westerveld[1]
Date of birth (1974-10-23) 23 October 1974[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

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 FC Twente in 1994. After two seasons there he moved to Vitesse for three.

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.

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 RCD 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 6 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 UD 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.

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 A.C. Monza Brianza 1912, 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
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Twente 1994–95 Eredivisie 30
1995–96 Eredivisie 110
Total 140
Vitesse 1996–97 Eredivisie 340
1997–98 Eredivisie 340
1998–99 Eredivisie 330
Total 1010
Liverpool 1999–2000 Premier League 360
2000–01 Premier League 380
2001–02 Premier League 10
Total 750
Real Sociedad 2001–02 La Liga 200
2002–03 La Liga 370
2003–04 La Liga 200
Total 770
Mallorca (loan) 2004–05 La Liga 60
Portsmouth 2005–06 Premier League 60
Everton (loan) 2005–06 Premier League 20
Almería 2006–07 Segunda División 340
Sparta Rotterdam 2007–08 Eredivisie 290
Monza 2009–10 Lega Pro 300
2010–11 Lega Pro 240
Total 540
Ajax Cape Town 2011–12 ABSA Premiership 230
2012–13 ABSA Premiership 190
Total 420
Career total 4400

Honours

Liverpool

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.
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