Rafael van der Vaart to Tottenham Spurs: Top 10 Dutch Stars to Have Graced EPL
It is no secret that some of the best players from around the globe come to the English Premier League to play for world-class clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal.
A handful of Dutch internationals called England home at some point in time, and there has always been a wealth of Hollanders to grace the English crowds with their presence.
The pride of the orange has never fallen short of amazing, and the Dutch footballers bring that dignity to every club with which they sign.
Here are the top 10 Dutch internationals to have graced the Premiership.
Dirk Kuyt
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At 30 years old, Dirk Kuyt has proven throughout his career to be a jack of all trades on the pitch, but he definitely can raise the bar when it comes to scoring goals for his club.
Since joining Liverpool from Feyenoord in 2006, Kuyt has appeared in 204 matches for the Reds, netting 52 goals. He's been a mainstay and a solid figure for Liverpool ever since he arrived at Anfield.
A creator, a goal-scorer, a do-it-all, and a hard-working forward, Kuyt could happily finish an illustrious career for Liverpool as one of the club's greatest international figures.
He may also forever go down as the player with the most intriguing and mispronounced last name.
Rafael van der Vaart
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Rafael van der Vaart will make his first appearance in the Premier League sometime in the near future after completing a deadline deal to move from Real Madrid to Tottenham.
With very good spells at Ajax and Hamburg featuring plenty of goal scoring, van der Vaart sort of fell below the radar with the Spanish giants Real Madrid.
The bundle of moves that saw midfielders like Ángel di Maria and Sami Khedira to the Bernabéu eventually cut off the 27-year-old van der Vaart's playing time.
Nevertheless, he has plenty of prime years ahead of him, and his abilities on the pitch will be highly anticipated at White Hart Lane.
In 327 career appearances, the Dutchman has netted 120 goals, a 1:2.7 goal-to-game ratio.
While he has yet to play a single minute in England, his transfer to Spurs looks to have early impacts in the UEFA Champions League.
Robin van Persie
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Another of Feyenoord's players to make the move to England was Robin van Persie, but in 2004 after three seasons with the Rotterdam-based club.
But at 27 years old, van Persie has been on and off the injury bug, appearing in 199 fixtures for the Gunners, about 27 matches a season not counting the young 2010 campaign (where he's already been bitten by the bug).
Known for his powerful strikes from anywhere in the final third, including set pieces, van Persie has always had a concrete place for the Gunners.
Staying healthy and prolonging his career could shoot him up the list of the most influential Dutch players in the Premiership.
Arjen Robben
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The speedy and agile Arjen Robben only played just three seasons for Chelsea, netting 19 goals in 102 appearances, but he has showcased his talent all over Europe, both in club and country fixtures.
Robben is widely known for ridiculous goals from range, including this one last year in the UEFA Champions League (here's another if you crave more).
A fascinating and dazzling winger, the 26-year-old Robben still has many years ahead of him. If his first season for Bayern Munich was any indication of the level of play expected out of him, his 2010 season will be one to watch.
Marc Overmars
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Quick and speedy, Marc Overmars was a technician on the wing during his time with Arsenal.
Signing with the Gunners for £5.5 million, Overmars was overshadowed by questions surrounding a serious knee injury while at Ajax.
He left Arsenal for Barcelona after three seasons for a then-record £25 million.
The 5'8" winger was skilled with both feet, making him a deadly provider from either side of the pitch.
Overmars is widely remembered for his game-winning goal against Manchester United in the 1998 F.A. Cup Final, securing the double for Arsenal.
Jaap Stam
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Jaap Stam is considered by some to be one of the most dominating center backs to have played in the Premier League.
His three seasons with Manchester United saw the Red Devils hoist three Premiership titles, an FA Cup trophy, an Intercontinental Cup, and a UEFA Champions League title.
Had Stam not been transfered to Lazio in 2001, who knows what sort of continued success would have come to Manchester United?
Edwin van der Sar
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Edwin van der Sar's contributions to the Premiership can be symbolized by a single world record: the most consecutive minutes without conceding a goal (1,311).
At 39, van der Sar has had an illustrious career spanning over four clubs—Ajax, Juventus, Fulham, and Manchester United.
The 6'5" keeper has certainly earned the title as one of the top goaltenders in the last two decades, and he seems to be ageless.
United found a keeper, in both senses of the word.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
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Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink won the Golden Boot twice, and is known for his blistering shots on goal.
Hasselbaink journeyed to several clubs throughout his career, but spent the late part of it in England, most notably at Chelsea where he managed to be the club's top goal scorer three out of four years.
Though he was born in Suriname, his allegiance to the Dutch National Selection was never in doubt, but fierce competition with other strikers like Dennis Bergkamp and Ruud van Nistelrooy severely curtailed his opportunities at the international level.
Hasselbaink ranks eighth in all-time goals scored in the Premiership.
Ruud van Nistelrooy
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Ruud van Nistelrooy was one of the most prolific goal-scorers ever to perform in the Premiership, appearing in more than 200 fixtures for Manchester United, netting 150 goals.
His strength and holding abilities were regularly unmatched during his time at Old Trafford, and from 1998 to 2006, his time with PSV Eindhoven and United were masterful and filled with goals.
Van Nistelrooy easily could go down as one of the top Dutchmen to have graced England's top flight league, but he is topped by only one.
Dennis Bergkamp
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Dennis Bergkamp is the lone Dutch player to be inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.
He suited up for Arsenal for 380 matches, scoring 104 goals. But he won't be remembered for being the best striker or having the brightest of performances.
Bergkamp is widely regarded as the best foreign player to sign with an English club, and his arrival coincided with Arsenal's rise as a powerhouse club in England.
His tactical awareness and passing abilities arguably recreated his position as the second striker: the forward playing in the hole behind the lead striker.
While there have been a great handful of Dutch players to come to England, none has had the lasting impact on a single club like Bergkamp.
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