Dirk Marcellis
Encyclopedia
Dirk Marcellis is a Dutch
footballer
, currently playing for AZ. His preferred position is centre back, but if needed, he can play on every defensive position. After a non-playing period at PSV Marcellis fought back at AZ and became one of the more reliable defenders in the Eredivisie.
. It was then that Marcellis was first really noticed by the bigger audience. He managed himself quite comfortably in the PSV defence, and almost effortlessly replaced the highly-rated Brazilian central defender Alex
, who went back to Chelsea
after being loaned by PSV for several seasons. On 30 July 2009, Marcellis scored a last-minute goal
against Bulgaria
n side PFC Cherno More Varna
to help his team to a 1:0 home win in a third qualifying round game of the UEFA Europa League. He transferred to AZ after they sold their striker Jeremain Lens
to PSV.
against Tottenham Hotspur
and Fiorentina
, where he played solid games against Dimitar Berbatov
and Adrian Mutu
, Marcellis caught the eye of not only Dutch football fans but also the Netherlands U-21
coach Foppe de Haan
.
De Haan was quoted as saying, "Verrek, we hebben weer een echte verdediger",
meaning: "Damn, we have a real defender again."
De Haan almost immediately included Marcellis in the squad and let him make his debut for the Netherlands U-21. Marcellis didn't disappoint by playing very solidly in defence, game after game. Not only on his preferred place in central defence but at times also as a right back.
He was a star on the rise, and the Dutch people recognised his great quality and potential. With the press and public often comparing him with his idol; former Dutch defender Jaap Stam
, naming him as the biggest contender to fill the gap that the widely known Stam left in the Dutch defence. However, he has yet to live up to his promise.
, where they were eliminated. After the full 90 minutes and extra time had resulted in a 1–1 draw, they surprisingly lost 2–1.
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
matches against Norway
& Iceland
. He made his debut on October 11, 2008, against Iceland.
|2006–07||rowspan="4"|PSV Eindhoven||rowspan="4"|Eredivisie
||0||0||0||0||1||0||1||0
|-
|2007–08||26||0||1||0||10||0||37||0
|-
|2008–09||31||0||0||0||6||0||37||0
|-
|2009–10||11||0||3||0||3||1||17||1
|-
|2010-11||rowspan="1"|AZ||rowspan="1"|Eredivisie
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
68||0||4||0||20||1||92||1
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, currently playing for AZ. His preferred position is centre back, but if needed, he can play on every defensive position. After a non-playing period at PSV Marcellis fought back at AZ and became one of the more reliable defenders in the Eredivisie.
PSV Eindhoven
Despite being short for a central defender, Marcellis worked his way up the ladder at PSV Eindhoven, and eventually played his way in the starting line-up, forming a confident pair with Mexican defender Carlos SalcidoCarlos Salcido
Carlos Arnoldo Salcido Flores is a Mexican international football defender who currently plays for Mexican Primera División club UANL on loan from Fulham...
. It was then that Marcellis was first really noticed by the bigger audience. He managed himself quite comfortably in the PSV defence, and almost effortlessly replaced the highly-rated Brazilian central defender Alex
Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa
Alex Rodrigo Dias da Costa, better known as Alex , is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Chelsea FC and the Brazil national team. His nickname is "Vinny" amongst fans for his close similarities to actor Vin Diesel....
, who went back to Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
after being loaned by PSV for several seasons. On 30 July 2009, Marcellis scored a last-minute goal
Last-minute goal
The term "last-minute goal" is used in sport, primarily association football, to describe a goal scored very late in a game. It may not necessarily refer to a goal scored in the actual final minute...
against Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n side PFC Cherno More Varna
PFC Cherno More Varna
PFC Cherno More Varna , or simply Cherno More is a Bulgarian professional football club from the city of Varna, which currently competes in Bulgaria's top football league, the A PFG....
to help his team to a 1:0 home win in a third qualifying round game of the UEFA Europa League. He transferred to AZ after they sold their striker Jeremain Lens
Jeremain Lens
Jeremain Lens is a Dutch-Surinam footballer who currently plays for PSV Eindhoven. He is a versatile offensive player, the best known for his pace and stamina, primarily being used as a winger or a striker, but he can successfully play as a second striker. In August 2010 he received the first...
to PSV.
AZ
At the 21st of May he was involved with the deal with Lens. He goes to PSV and AZ contracted Marcellis. After a non-playing period at PSV Marcellis fought back at AZ and became one of the best defenders in the league.International U21 career
After impressing with PSV both in the UEFA CupUEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
against Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
and Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
, where he played solid games against Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Berbatov
Dimitar Ivanov Berbatov is a Bulgarian footballer who plays as a forward for Manchester United. He captained the Bulgarian national team from 2006 to 2010, and is its all-time leading goalscorer and has also won the Bulgarian Footballer of the Year a record seven times, surpassing the number of...
and Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti...
, Marcellis caught the eye of not only Dutch football fans but also the Netherlands U-21
Netherlands national under-21 football team
The Netherlands national under-21 football team is the national under-21 team of the Netherlands and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Championship, held every two years....
coach Foppe de Haan
Foppe de Haan
Foppe de Haan OON is a Dutch football coach. He is known for his long association with Frisian club SC Heerenveen. De Haan is currently manager of the Tuvalu national football team.-Career:...
.
De Haan was quoted as saying, "Verrek, we hebben weer een echte verdediger",
meaning: "Damn, we have a real defender again."
De Haan almost immediately included Marcellis in the squad and let him make his debut for the Netherlands U-21. Marcellis didn't disappoint by playing very solidly in defence, game after game. Not only on his preferred place in central defence but at times also as a right back.
He was a star on the rise, and the Dutch people recognised his great quality and potential. With the press and public often comparing him with his idol; former Dutch defender Jaap Stam
Jaap Stam
Jakob "Jaap" Stam is a retired Dutch football player who was twice voted best defender in the 1998–99 and 1999–2000 UEFA Champions League. He played for several European clubs like PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, S.S. Lazio, A.C. Milan and AFC Ajax before retiring in October 2007...
, naming him as the biggest contender to fill the gap that the widely known Stam left in the Dutch defence. However, he has yet to live up to his promise.
2008 Beijing Summer Olympics
He was selected for the Netherlands Olympic squad and was absolute first choice central defender during the entire run-up to the Olympics, where he made a confident impression, seldom making a mistake. He played in all the group games, where the Dutch barely qualified for the quarter finals, coming second on points. He also played the quarter-final against ArgentinaArgentina Olympic football team
Argentina Olympic football team represents Argentina in international football competitions in Olympic Games. The selection is limited to players under the age of 23, except three overage players...
, where they were eliminated. After the full 90 minutes and extra time had resulted in a 1–1 draw, they surprisingly lost 2–1.
National team
He received his first call-up under national team coach Bert van MarwijkBert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...
matches against Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
& Iceland
Iceland national football team
The Iceland national football team is the national football team of Iceland and is controlled by the Football Association of Iceland. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition....
. He made his debut on October 11, 2008, against Iceland.
Career statistics
|-|2006–07||rowspan="4"|PSV Eindhoven||rowspan="4"|Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
||0||0||0||0||1||0||1||0
|-
|2007–08||26||0||1||0||10||0||37||0
|-
|2008–09||31||0||0||0||6||0||37||0
|-
|2009–10||11||0||3||0||3||1||17||1
|-
|2010-11||rowspan="1"|AZ||rowspan="1"|Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||0
68||0||4||0||20||1||92||1