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The Underrated Dutch Goalkeepers in the Big Teams

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A few underrated Dutch goalkeepers had a chance to play for the big clubs in Europe and succeeded.

The Netherlands has been famous for producing modern goalkeepers. They do not only excel at shot-stopping but are also good with their feet. For years, Dutch goalkeepers have been considered some of the best in Europe. 

The likes of Jan Jongbloed, Hans Van Breukelen, Ed de Goey, and Edwin Van der Sar are probably the most famous ones among the fans. Then, there were Stanley Menzo, Marten Stekelenburg, Jasper Cillesen, Tim Krul, and currently Brighton's Bert Verbruggen, who have had great stints in their clubs and earned respectable international caps. 

However, there were a few underrated names between the sticks who surprisingly signed for the big teams and managed to shine during their brief stay there. Here are those forgotten Dutch goalkeepers who once thrived in the European elites.


Ruud Hesp (Barcelona)

He was one of the fairly unknown names in Barcelona’s Louis Van Gaal in his first spell. Hesp was not exactly Van Gaal’s first choice to sign when he moved to the Catalan side. He was aiming for his former stars in Ajax, Edwin Van Der Sar and Ed De Goey. Unfortunately, neither followed him to La Liga. The former chose to stay put in Amsterdam while the latter opted to join Chelsea instead. Van Gaal eventually turned to Ruud Hesp, who was already 32 years old at that time.

Hesp was the key figure in Roda JC’s success in the mid-1990s when they finished second in Eredivisie in 1995, plus snatching KNVB Cup two years later. Under Van Gaal, the former Fortuna Sittard shot stopper enjoyed his success as the first choice ahead of Vitor Baia and won two La Ligas consecutively, plus one Copa Del Rey in 1998 and UEFA Super Cup in 1997. He even helped Blaugrana to reach the semifinals in UCL 2000 before their 4-1 humiliation against Valencia in the last four. His days in Barcelona eventually came to an end following Van Gaal’s exit. The current Besiktas goalkeeping coach chose to return home in 2000 and retired two years later. Overall, Hesp made 144 appearances and 42 clean sheets for La Liga powerhouse.

Despite his top form, the Bussum-born goalie was never capped on the international stage. He did receive a call-up for being part of De Oranje squad in EURO 1996 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Van der Sar’s consistent top form for years cost him his chance to play in the major tournament.

Raimond Van der Gouw (Manchester United)

He was signed by United as the experienced understudy in 1996. Van der Gouw was already 33 years old while moving to Old Trafford. Yet, he slowly gained Sir Alex Ferguson’s trust for the important matches following his impressive debut against Aston Villa in September 1996. The former Go Ahead Eagles goalie was picked to replace the injured Peter Schmeichel in the 1997 Champions League semifinal versus the eventual champion, Borussia Dortmund, and in the following season when Manchester United played host to Monaco. Despite failing to win in both games, Van Der Gouw’s performance earned praise for his numerous crucial saves.

Van Der Gouw made his mark when he played for Vitesse Arnhem, which he joined in 1988. He already helped his team get promoted in the first season. The current Shakhtar Donetsk goalkeeping coach also contributed to Vitesse’s successful campaign in 1989/90 when they finished fourth to make their European debut and reached the KNVB Cup final. Vitesse also managed to advance to the quarterfinals in the 1991 UEFA Cup.

The Oldenzaal-born goalie stayed in Manchester till 2002 and won all major titles with two EPL trophies, the FA Cup, and the Champions League in 1999. His role in United, in fact, went further than just playing on the pitch. He was already assigned to be the goalkeeper coach in 1998/99 for the youth team while serving as the team’s second fiddle. Overall, he appeared in 60 games and made 27 clean sheets for United.

Van der Gouw eventually switched sides to West Ham following the arrival of Roy Carroll. Yet, he did not make a single appearance for The Hammers. He then moved back to his home soil after a year in Upton Park and played for RKC Walkwijk and AGOVV, respectively, till he hung up his gloves in 2007 without getting a single international call-up.

Sander Westerveld (Liverpool)

Unlike the other two, Sander Westerveld was luckier on the international stage. He was capped six times, including three matches in EURO 2000. He was the key man in Liverpool’s treble success in 2001, when they clinched FA Cup, Carling Cup, and UEFA Cup titles. Westerveld also helped them snatch the UEFA Super Cup when Steven Gerrard and Co. thumped Bayern Munich 3-2.

The former Twente man who moved to Anfield in 1999 was instrumental in Vitesse’s impressive campaign in the 1998/99 season. They managed to finish fourth and qualified for the UEFA Cup. Unfortunately, his stint only lasted till December 2001, or just a few months after winning continental titles with The Reds. The arrival of Jerzy Dudek, plus his blunder against Bolton in August 2001, pushed him to the exit after making 103 appearances and 42 clean sheets. Westerveld joined Real Sociedad, where he contributed well to their positive campaign in 2002/03. In that season, La Real finished second in La Liga behind Real Madrid and secured one spot in the Champions League.

After being loaned out to Mallorca in 2004, he returned to England by playing for Portsmouth and Everton before going back to the Netherlands and playing for Sparta Rotterdam. Westerveld finally retired in 2013 after his two-year spell with Ajax Cape Town. His last club in Europe was Monza, which was competing in the Italian third tier in the 2010s.

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