Stefan de Vrij
Encyclopedia
Stefan de Vrij (ˈsteːfɐn də ˈvrɛi̯) (born 5 February 1992 in Ouderkerk aan den IJssel
) is a Dutch
footballer who currently plays as a defender
for Dutch Eredivisie
club Feyenoord and the Netherlands U17.
, South Holland
, The Netherlands. He's the youngest son of Jan de Vrij, who played for local club VV Spirit, where Stefan de Vrij started his career. Besides his father, De Vrij is the only football player in the family. His older brothers Niels and Eric did play football in their youth, but weren't as talented as their youngest brother.
club VV Spirit for 5 seasons. At the age of 10, he attended a Feyenoord talent day. After various training sessions and a friendly match against ARC, De Vrij was officially asked to join Feyenoord's youth division. At VV Spirit, De Vrij often played as a central midfielder, but at Feyenoord he got turned into a defender. The youngster developed himself rapidly. After playing for Feyenoord U15, De Vrij was one of the players to skip the U16 team to play in U17 immediately.
in the 58th minute in the KNVB Cup
away match against Harkemase Boys (0–5). On December 6, 2009, De Vrij made his Eredivisie debut in the home match against FC Groningen (3–1), where he replaced Landzaat
in the 89th minute.
in Germany
. The Dutch team, aided by a strong contingent of seven Feyenoord players in the squad, finished second after losing the final to Germany in extra-time (2–1). De Vrij was paired up with Dico Koppers
in central defense and participated in every match Oranje played, without getting substituted. With a second place on the European Championship, the Netherlands U17 qualified for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup
in Nigeria
.
|2009–10||rowspan="1"|Feyenoord||rowspan="1"|Eredivisie
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|2010–11||rowspan="1"|Feyenoord||rowspan="1"|Eredivisie
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47||2||4||0||0||0||51|2|
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Ouderkerk aan den IJssel
Ouderkerk aan den IJssel is a village in the Krimpenerwaard polder, in the province South Holland, the Netherlands. It is situated along the river Hollandse IJssel and has over 4000 inhabitants....
) is a Dutch
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 as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for Dutch 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....
club Feyenoord and the Netherlands U17.
Early life
De Vrij grew up in Ouderkerk aan den IJsselOuderkerk aan den IJssel
Ouderkerk aan den IJssel is a village in the Krimpenerwaard polder, in the province South Holland, the Netherlands. It is situated along the river Hollandse IJssel and has over 4000 inhabitants....
, South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
, The Netherlands. He's the youngest son of Jan de Vrij, who played for local club VV Spirit, where Stefan de Vrij started his career. Besides his father, De Vrij is the only football player in the family. His older brothers Niels and Eric did play football in their youth, but weren't as talented as their youngest brother.
Youth career
De Vrij played for local Ouderkerk aan den IJsselOuderkerk aan den IJssel
Ouderkerk aan den IJssel is a village in the Krimpenerwaard polder, in the province South Holland, the Netherlands. It is situated along the river Hollandse IJssel and has over 4000 inhabitants....
club VV Spirit for 5 seasons. At the age of 10, he attended a Feyenoord talent day. After various training sessions and a friendly match against ARC, De Vrij was officially asked to join Feyenoord's youth division. At VV Spirit, De Vrij often played as a central midfielder, but at Feyenoord he got turned into a defender. The youngster developed himself rapidly. After playing for Feyenoord U15, De Vrij was one of the players to skip the U16 team to play in U17 immediately.
Feyenoord (2009–)
On July 17, 2009, De Vrij signed his first professional contract with Feyenoord until summer 2012. De Vrij made his official debut for Feyenoord's first team on September 24, 2009. He replaced LeerdamKelvin Leerdam
Kelvin Leerdam is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a right back for Dutch Eredivisie club Feyenoord and the Netherlands U21.-Early life:Leerdam was born in Paramaribo, the capital and largest city of Suriname...
in the 58th minute in the KNVB Cup
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
away match against Harkemase Boys (0–5). On December 6, 2009, De Vrij made his Eredivisie debut in the home match against FC Groningen (3–1), where he replaced Landzaat
Denny Landzaat
Denny Domingoes Landzaat is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Dutch Eredivisie club FC Twente.-Early life:Landzaat is born and raised in Amsterdam, Netherlands...
in the 89th minute.
Youth teams
De Vrij's strong development at Feyenoord didn't pass by unnoticed, as he quickly received his first invitation for a national youth team. On November 21, 2007, the Netherlands U16 won the friendly match against Ukraine U16 (1–0), with De Vrij's first appearance in the starting line-up.Netherlands U17
De Vrij was active on the 2009 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship2009 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship
- Group B :--------------------- Semi-finals :----- Final :- References :**...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The Dutch team, aided by a strong contingent of seven Feyenoord players in the squad, finished second after losing the final to Germany in extra-time (2–1). De Vrij was paired up with Dico Koppers
Dico Koppers
Dico Koppers is a Dutch professional football player, currently playing as a Left Back for Eredivisie side Ajax Amsterdam.-AFC Ajax:...
in central defense and participated in every match Oranje played, without getting substituted. With a second place on the European Championship, the Netherlands U17 qualified for the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup
2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup
The 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup was the thirteenth tournament of the FIFA U-17 World Cup held in Nigeria from October 24 to November 15, 2009.The tournament was won by Switzerland, beating 1-0 the host team, Nigeria...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
.
Statistics
|-|2009–10||rowspan="1"|Feyenoord||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....
||17||1||4||0||colspan="2"|–||21||1
|-
|2010–11||rowspan="1"|Feyenoord||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....
||30||1||0||0||colspan="2"|–||30||1
|-
47||2||4||0||0||0||51|2|
47||2||4||0||0||0||51||2|
- Statistics accurate as of last match played on March 2, 2010.