Michel Vonk
Encyclopedia
Michel Vonk is a football coach and former player from The Netherlands, currently in charge as head coach of Eerste Divisie
club Sparta Rotterdam
.
in 1991 and played 51 times for the team scoring 1 goal. Then in 1992 he transferred to Manchester City F.C.
where he enjoyed three successful seasons playing a total of 91 league games for the club, scoring 4 times. He had been brought in by then City manager Peter Reid
costing £500,000. He formed a successful partnership with Keith Curle
in the centre of the City defence. In 1995 he criticised then City manager Brian Horton
in the News of the World
which earned him a suspension and being fined 2 weeks wages.
Subsequent City manager Alan Ball sold the player to Oldham Athletic F.C. for £350,000, where he played 5 times and scored 1 goal. He was then transferred to Sheffield United F.C.
where he played until 1998. He played 37 times for the Blades scoring twice. His time with the club was hampered by injuries. In 1998 he returned to the Netherlands and began playing for MVV Maastricht
. His injuries continued however and he was released by the club when they were relegated.
at Sparta Rotterdam
for two seasons.
In April 2011 Vonk agreed to return at Sparta as head coach for the 2011–12 season
under supervision of newly-appointed technical director Wiljan Vloet, who accepted to return at the Rotterdam club after two seasons as trainer of NEC Nijmegen.
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 Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands, established on April 1, 1888. Sparta is one of three professional football clubs from Rotterdam, the others being Excelsior and Feyenoord , the latter playing in the Eredivisie.-History:Sparta was first founded in 1887....
.
Playing career
Vonk played as centre back and began his career in 1986 with AZ '67 for whom he played 111 times and scored 8 goals. He transferred to SVV DordrechtFC 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 1991 and played 51 times for the team scoring 1 goal. Then in 1992 he transferred to Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
where he enjoyed three successful seasons playing a total of 91 league games for the club, scoring 4 times. He had been brought in by then City manager Peter Reid
Peter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
costing £500,000. He formed a successful partnership with Keith Curle
Keith Curle
Keith Curle is an English former professional football player, who is currently first team coach at Queens Park Rangers.As a player, he was capped three times by England at senior level.-Playing career:...
in the centre of the City defence. In 1995 he criticised then City manager Brian Horton
Brian Horton
Brian Horton is an English former footballer and manager, who is working as Phil Brown's assistant at Preston North End.Horton played for Hednesford Town, Port Vale, Brighton & Hove Albion, Luton Town and Hull City as a midfielder...
in the News of the World
News of the World
The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...
which earned him a suspension and being fined 2 weeks wages.
Subsequent City manager Alan Ball sold the player to Oldham Athletic F.C. for £350,000, where he played 5 times and scored 1 goal. He was then transferred to Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
where he played until 1998. He played 37 times for the Blades scoring twice. His time with the club was hampered by injuries. In 1998 he returned to the Netherlands and began playing for MVV Maastricht
MVV Maastricht
MVV Maastricht is a Dutch professional football club from the city of Maastricht, founded on April 2, 1902...
. His injuries continued however and he was released by the club when they were relegated.
Coaching career
After retiring from active football, Vonk became a youth coach for PSV. He successively served as assistant to Wiljan VloetWiljan Vloet
Wiljan Vloet is a Dutch football manager, who is the current technical director of Sparta Rotterdam.-Career:...
at Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands, established on April 1, 1888. Sparta is one of three professional football clubs from Rotterdam, the others being Excelsior and Feyenoord , the latter playing in the Eredivisie.-History:Sparta was first founded in 1887....
for two seasons.
In April 2011 Vonk agreed to return at Sparta as head coach for the 2011–12 season
2011–12 Eerste Divisie
The 2011–12 Eerste Divisie, known as Jupiler League for sponsorship reasons, is the fifty-sixth season of Eerste Divisie since its establishment in 1955...
under supervision of newly-appointed technical director Wiljan Vloet, who accepted to return at the Rotterdam club after two seasons as trainer of NEC Nijmegen.