Maceo Rigters
Encyclopedia
Maceo Rigters is a Dutch
footballer, who currently plays for Gold Coast United in the Australian A-League
. His previous clubs include Heerenveen, Dordrecht
, NAC Breda
and Blackburn Rovers
. He is also a former player for the Netherlands Under-21 team
.
club, Heerenveen where he made his senior debut during the 2002–03 season
. He had a short spell at Eerste Divisie
club Dordrecht
in the 2004–05 season. On 1 January 2005, he signed a four-and-half-year contract with Eredivisie club NAC Breda
, where he scored just five goals in 61 appearances.
club. He made his first official appearance for Blackburn Rovers in a UEFA Intertoto Cup
match against Lithuania
n club, FK Vėtra
on 22 July 2007 as a second half substitute replacing Benni McCarthy
in the 65th minute. His first start came on 30 August against Finnish
club, MyPa
, in a UEFA Cup
first round match, and he made his Premier League debut on 29 September.
Rigters played only one more league game for the club that season on 11 February 2008, and after struggling to make an impact at the club, he joined Championship
club Norwich City
19 March on loan until the end of the 2007–08 season
. He made his first appearance for Norwich as a 78th minute substitute in a 5–1 win over Colchester United
. However, in only his second substitute appearance for the club on 29 March, during a home defeat to Bristol City
, Rigters lasted just fifteen minutes as he sustained a torn hamstring, and he subsequently returned to Blackburn for treatment.
On 8 August he joined Barnsley
on loan for the 2008–09 Football League Championship season.
In July 2009 Rigters was told he was free to find himself a new club. He subsequently undertook a trial at Southend United in an attempt to earn himself a contract with the club. However the trial was not successful and he returned to Blackburn Rovers to wait for another trial offer.
He then eventually returned to play for Blackburn on 2 January 2010 when he featured for 18 minutes against Aston Villa in the FA Cup Third Round in the 3–1 defeat.
On 31 August, Rigters returned home to the Netherlands to join Willem II on a season long loan.
On 1 July 2011, Rigters contract with Rovers ended, and he became a free agent.
team Wellington Phoenix initially on a 10-day trial. However, on 24 August 2011, the trial was cut short when Rigters could not agree terms to a permanent deal. Rigters had made only one pre-season appearance in a friendly with Phoenix, scoring the conciliation goal in a 5-1 loss at home to 2010-11 A-League Champions, Brisbane Roar.
in the hope of signing a contract with Wellington Phoenix, however despite being offered a contract, Rigters turned it down due to a disagreement on wages. Only days later, on 1 September, it was announced that Rigters had signed a deal with fellow A-League club Gold Coast United, replacing American Alex Smith
whose contract had been terminated, allowing the signing to go forth.
on 5 February 2005 when he came on as a second half substitute in a 3–0 win over Russia Under-21s
, scoring the third Dutch goal. On 23 March he scored as the Dutch Under-21s drew 1–1 with Czech Republic Under-21s
.
He was called up by under-21 team coach Foppe de Haan
as a last minute addition to the squad for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
on the eve of the tournament which was held in the Netherlands. Rigters played in all three group stage matches, a 1–0 win against Israel Under 21s
and a 2–1 win over Portugal Under-21s
to secure a semi-final spot and therefore qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics
. He won the penalty from which Ryan Babel
scored the first Dutch goal and he scored the second Dutch goal of the match and was named Man of the match
by UEFA
. In the last group match against Belgium Under-21s
, Rigters scored in a 2–2 draw.
In the semi-finals against England Under-21s
, Rigters scored a 90th minute equaliser with a bicycle kick
to take the match to extra time and eventually a penalty shoot-out, in which Rigters also scored as well, and the Dutch team won the shoot-out 13–12. He was also voted Man of the match for the second time.
The Dutch went on to retain their 2006 title by beating Serbia Under-21s
4–1 in the final. Rigters scored the third goal, his fourth of the tournament, which put him ahead of England's Leroy Lita
and gave him the Golden Boot
as top scorer. After the tournament he was named in the UEFA
Team of the tournament.
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, who currently plays for Gold Coast United in the Australian A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
. His previous clubs include Heerenveen, Dordrecht
FC Dordrecht
FC Dordrecht is a football club from the city of Dordrecht in the Netherlands, currently playing in the Eerste Divisie.- History :Founded on 16 August 1883 as Dordrechtsche Football Club , it became a professional club in 1954 upon the introduction of professional football to the Netherlands...
, NAC Breda
NAC Breda
NAC Breda , simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of...
and Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
. He is also a former player for the Netherlands Under-21 team
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....
.
Heerenveen, Dordrecht and NAC Breda
Rigters started his football career at EredivisieEredivisie
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....
club, Heerenveen where he made his senior debut during the 2002–03 season
2002-03 in Dutch football
The 2002/2003 season in Dutch football was the 47th season in the Eredivisie, where PSV Eindhoven claimed the title while FC Utrecht won the Dutch National Cup by defeating Feyenoord Rotterdam in the final.-Johan Cruijff-schaal:-Eredivisie:...
. He had a short spell at Eerste Divisie
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium...
club Dordrecht
FC Dordrecht
FC Dordrecht is a football club from the city of Dordrecht in the Netherlands, currently playing in the Eerste Divisie.- History :Founded on 16 August 1883 as Dordrechtsche Football Club , it became a professional club in 1954 upon the introduction of professional football to the Netherlands...
in the 2004–05 season. On 1 January 2005, he signed a four-and-half-year contract with Eredivisie club NAC Breda
NAC Breda
NAC Breda , simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of...
, where he scored just five goals in 61 appearances.
Blackburn Rovers
Rigters was signed by Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee on 2 July 2007, with the striker signing a four-year contract with the LancashireLancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
club. He made his first official appearance for Blackburn Rovers in a UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
match against Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n club, FK Vėtra
FK Vetra
FK Vėtra was a Lithuanian football team from the capital city of Vilnius.- History :The club was founded in 1997 and was initially based in Rūdiškės, a settlement in Vilnius district, and moved in 2003 to Vilnius city with the purchase of its own stadium....
on 22 July 2007 as a second half substitute replacing Benni McCarthy
Benni McCarthy
Benedict Saul "Benni" McCarthy is a South African footballer who is currently contracted to Orlando Pirates in South Africa.McCarthy holds the record of international goals for a South African...
in the 65th minute. His first start came on 30 August against Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
club, MyPa
MyPa
Myllykosken Pallo –47 is a Finnish football club, based in the industrial town of Myllykoski, part of the city of Kouvola since January 2009. They currently play in the Finnish Premier Division...
, in a UEFA Cup
UEFA 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...
first round match, and he made his Premier League debut on 29 September.
Rigters played only one more league game for the club that season on 11 February 2008, and after struggling to make an impact at the club, he joined Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
club Norwich City
Norwich City F.C.
Norwich City Football Club is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. As of the 2011–12 season, Norwich City are again playing in the Premier League after a six-year absence, having finished as runner up in the Championship in 2010–11 and winning automatic promotion.The...
19 March on loan until the end of the 2007–08 season
2007-08 in English football
The 2007–08 season was the 128th season of competitive football in England.-European competitions:In October 2007 Arsenal equalled the UEFA Champions League record victory with a 7–0 win over Slavia Prague at the Emirates Stadium. The record was broken the following month when Liverpool...
. He made his first appearance for Norwich as a 78th minute substitute in a 5–1 win over Colchester United
Colchester United F.C.
Colchester United Football Club is an English football club based in Colchester. The club was formed in 1937, and briefly shared their old Layer Road home with now defunct side Colchester Town who had previously used the ground from 1910....
. However, in only his second substitute appearance for the club on 29 March, during a home defeat to Bristol City
Bristol City F.C.
Bristol City Football Club is one of two football league clubs in Bristol, England . They play at Ashton Gate, located in the south-west of the City...
, Rigters lasted just fifteen minutes as he sustained a torn hamstring, and he subsequently returned to Blackburn for treatment.
On 8 August he joined Barnsley
Barnsley F.C.
Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
on loan for the 2008–09 Football League Championship season.
In July 2009 Rigters was told he was free to find himself a new club. He subsequently undertook a trial at Southend United in an attempt to earn himself a contract with the club. However the trial was not successful and he returned to Blackburn Rovers to wait for another trial offer.
He then eventually returned to play for Blackburn on 2 January 2010 when he featured for 18 minutes against Aston Villa in the FA Cup Third Round in the 3–1 defeat.
On 31 August, Rigters returned home to the Netherlands to join Willem II on a season long loan.
On 1 July 2011, Rigters contract with Rovers ended, and he became a free agent.
Free Agent
Following the expiration of his Rovers contract, on 19 August 2011, Rigters joined up with A-LeagueA-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
team Wellington Phoenix initially on a 10-day trial. However, on 24 August 2011, the trial was cut short when Rigters could not agree terms to a permanent deal. Rigters had made only one pre-season appearance in a friendly with Phoenix, scoring the conciliation goal in a 5-1 loss at home to 2010-11 A-League Champions, Brisbane Roar.
Gold Coast United
Rigters had initially traveled to New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in the hope of signing a contract with Wellington Phoenix, however despite being offered a contract, Rigters turned it down due to a disagreement on wages. Only days later, on 1 September, it was announced that Rigters had signed a deal with fellow A-League club Gold Coast United, replacing American Alex Smith
Alex Smith (footballer born 1985)
Alex Smith is an English-American footballer who plays for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League. He was briefly contracted to Gold Coast United, however was released pre-season without making a single appearance for the club. He plays as a striker.-College football:Smith was born in Windsor,...
whose contract had been terminated, allowing the signing to go forth.
International career
Rigters scored on his debut for the Netherlands national under-21 teamNetherlands 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....
on 5 February 2005 when he came on as a second half substitute in a 3–0 win over Russia Under-21s
Russia national under-21 football team
The Russia national under-21 football team is overseen by the Russian Football Union. The team competes in the European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years.- Coaches :-Results:*1994: quarterfinalists...
, scoring the third Dutch goal. On 23 March he scored as the Dutch Under-21s drew 1–1 with Czech Republic Under-21s
Czech Republic national under-21 football team
The Czech Republic national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of the Czech Republic and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic...
.
He was called up by under-21 team 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:...
as a last minute addition to the squad for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 were held from 10 June 2007 to 23 June 2007. It is the 16th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship....
on the eve of the tournament which was held in the Netherlands. Rigters played in all three group stage matches, a 1–0 win against Israel Under 21s
Israel national under-21 football team
Israel's national Under-21 team , also known as Israel Under-21s or Israel U-21s, is considered to be the feeder team for the Israel national football team...
and a 2–1 win over Portugal Under-21s
Portugal national under-21 football team
The Portugal national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Portugal and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation . They are nicknamed "Esperanças." Esperança means hope, thus they are Portugal's hopes for the future...
to secure a semi-final spot and therefore qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. He won the penalty from which Ryan Babel
Ryan Babel
Ryan Guno Babel is a Dutch football player who currently plays for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. He can play as a left winger and as a striker. Babel began his career at AFC Ajax in 1998, working his way up through the youth team and into the senior squad...
scored the first Dutch goal and he scored the second Dutch goal of the match and was named Man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
by UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
. In the last group match against Belgium Under-21s
Belgium national under-21 football team
The Belgium national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Belgium and is controlled by the Belgian Football Association. The team competes in the European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
, Rigters scored in a 2–2 draw.
In the semi-finals against England Under-21s
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
, Rigters scored a 90th minute equaliser with a bicycle kick
Bicycle kick
A Bicycle kick or Scissor kick is a physical move made by throwing the body up into the air, making a shearing movement with the legs to get one leg in front of the other without holding on to the ground. The move can either be done backwards or sideways...
to take the match to extra time and eventually a penalty shoot-out, in which Rigters also scored as well, and the Dutch team won the shoot-out 13–12. He was also voted Man of the match for the second time.
The Dutch went on to retain their 2006 title by beating Serbia Under-21s
Serbia national under-21 football team
The Serbia national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Serbia and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia....
4–1 in the final. Rigters scored the third goal, his fourth of the tournament, which put him ahead of England's Leroy Lita
Leroy Lita
Leroy Halirou Bohari Lita , is a Congolese-born English footballer who plays for Swansea City. Lita was a product of the Chelsea youth system. He failed to play for Chelsea, and moved to Bristol City and Reading, where his form helped him earn a place with the England under-21 side...
and gave him the Golden Boot
Golden Boot
A Golden Boot or Golden Shoe is an award, most often in football sports, given to the individual player who scores the most goals in a league or a tournament.These terms may also refer to:In association football...
as top scorer. After the tournament he was named in the UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
Team of the tournament.