Ruud van Nistelrooy
Name: Ruud van Nistelrooy
Nationality: Dutch
Date and Place of Birth: Born July 1, 1976 in Oss, North Brabant, Netherlands
Playing Position: Striker
Current Club:
Real Madrid (Spanish La Liga)
Club Career: 1993 – 1997 FC Den Bosch
1997 – 1998 SC Heerenveen
1998 – 2001 PSV Eindhoven
2001 – 2006 Manchester United
2006–present Real Madrid
International Career: 1998–present - Netherlands
About Ruud van Nistelrooy:
Rutgerus Johannes Martinius van Nistelrooy more commonly known as Ruud van Nistelrooy, was born in Holland in 1976. At an early age van Nistelrooy showed an avid interest and talent for football and impressed with a strong and imposing natural ability. However, during his early career van Nistelrooy was known as a central defender instead of the prolific striker he is today.
It wasn’t until van Nistelrooy moved to Heerenveen in 1997 that he began to play as a centre forward, a role he soon excelled in stamping his authority as a strong striker with a keen eye for goal. Van Nistelrooy’s striking ability caught the interest of PSV Eindhoven and he signed for the Dutch club in 1998 as one of the up and coming hot prospects in Dutch football. In his first season at PSV van Nistelrooy excelled scoring 31 goals in 34 games, the second highest total in the whole of European football.
Van Nistelrooy’s reputation as a prolific striker drew interest from major European clubs and he signed for Manchester United in 2001 for £19 million, a then British transfer record. Van Nistelrooy immediately settled into Premiership football maintaining his consistent goal tally and dominating the front line of Manchester United’s attack. That same season van Nistelrooy scored 10 goals in the Champion’s League alone and was named the PFA Player’s Player of the Year.
Van Nistelrooy continued to play well for United and became a firm fan’s favourite despite struggling through the 2004-05 season with injury troubles. However, van Nistelrooy’s time at the club was blighted by his exit due to a rumoured rift with manager Alex Ferguson following an argument with fellow team mate Cristiano Ronaldo. Van Nistelrooy moved to Real Madrid in July 2006 despite speculation that Bayern Munich were interested in securing his signature.
At Real Madrid, van Nistelrooy quickly settled in scoring plenty of goals and helping the club to clinch the 2006-07 La Liga title over bitter rivals FC Barcelona. His contribution to the club has been immense and his performances have already endeared him with the Real Madrid faithful.
Van Nistelrooy plays for the Dutch national team and was a member of the squad that participated in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Despite announcing his retirement from international football in January 2007 van Nistelrooy has reconsidered and has now made himself available for selection again.
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