Maceo Rigters

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Maceo Rigters
Personal information
Full name Maceo Rigters
Date of birth January 22, 1984 (1984-01-22) (age 24)
Place of birth    Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club Blackburn Rovers
Number 17
Youth clubs
 ?-2003 Ajax
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
2003-2004
2004-2005
2005-2007
2007-
2008		 Heerenveen
Dordrecht
NAC Breda
Blackburn Rovers
→ Norwich City (loan)		 02 (0)
17 (8)
61 (5)
02 (0)
02 (0)   
National team2
2005-2007 Netherlands U-21 09 (6)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 16:32, 19 March 2008 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 17:52, 3 July 2007 (UTC).
* Appearances (Goals)

Maceo Rigters (born 22 January 1984 in Amsterdam, Netherlands) is a Dutch footballer, currently playing for Blackburn Rovers in England. He has also played for the Netherlands Under-21 team. He plays as a striker.

Contents

[edit] Club career

[edit] SC Heervenveen, FC Dordrecht & NAC Brada

Rigters started his football career at Eredivisie club, SC Heerenveen where he made his senior debut during the 2002-03 season. He had a short spell at Eerste Divisie club FC 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 five goals in 61 appearances.[1][1]

[edit] 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 Lancashire club.[2][3] He made his first official appearance or Blackburn in a UEFA Intertoto Cup match against Lithuanian 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,[4] he joined Championship club Norwich City 19 March on loan until the end of the 2007-08 season.[5] 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 Backburn for treatment.[4]

[edit] International career

Rigters scored on his debut for the Netherlands national under-21 team on 5 February 2008 when he came on as a second half substitute in a 3–0 win over Russia Under-21s, scoring the third Dutch goal.[6] On 23 March he scored as the Dutch Under-21s drew 1–1 with Czech Republic Under-21s.[7]

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.[1] 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.[6] In the last group match against Belgium Under-21s, Rigters scored in a 2–2 draw.[8]

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.[9]

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 give him the Golden Boot as top scorer.[10] After the tournament he was named in the UEFA Team of the tournament.[11]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c "Netherlands U-21 profile - Maceo Rigters", UEFA, 2007. Retrieved on 2008-06-06. 
  2. ^ "Dutch hero Rigters joins Blackburn", UEFA, 2007-07-02. Retrieved on 2008-06-06. 
  3. ^ "Blackburn seal Rigters transfer", BBC Sport, 2007-07-02. Retrieved on 2007-07-02. 
  4. ^ a b "Rigters blow for Norwich - Striker returns to Blackburn for treatment", Sky Sports, 2008-04-01. Retrieved on 2008-06-06. 
  5. ^ "Blackburn's Rigters joins Norwich", BBC Sport, 2008-03-19. Retrieved on 2008-03-19. 
  6. ^ a b Scholten, Berend. "Rigters relishing surprise role", UEFA, 2007-06-14. Retrieved on 2008-06-06. 
  7. ^ "Czechs hold the Jong Oranje", UEFA, 2007-03-23. Retrieved on 2008-06-06. 
  8. ^ Scholten, Berend. "De Haan's sweet symphony", UEFA, 2007-06-17. Retrieved on 2008-06-06. 
  9. ^ Scholten, Berend. "Gym lessons help Rigters reign", UEFA, 2007-06-21. Retrieved on 2008-06-06. 
  10. ^ Harrold, Michael. "Rigters relishes 'fantastic' feat", UEFA, 2007-06-23. Retrieved on 2008-06-06. 
  11. ^ Haslam, Andrew. "uefa.com's U21 dream team", UEFA, 2007-06-29. Retrieved on 2008-06-06. 

[edit] External links


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