Dorus de Vries

Dorus de Vries
Personal information
Full name Dorus de Vries[1]
Date of birth (1980-12-29) 29 December 1980[1]
Place of birth Beverwijk, Netherlands
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
Celtic
Number 24
Youth career
De Kennemers
Beverwijk
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2003 Telstar 81 (0)
2003–2006 ADO Den Haag 69 (0)
2006–2007 Dunfermline Athletic 23 (0)
2007–2011 Swansea City 181 (0)
2011–2013 Wolverhampton Wanderers 14 (0)
2013–2016 Nottingham Forest 53 (0)
2016– Celtic 2 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 September 2016.


Dorus de Vries (born 29 December 1980) is a Dutch footballer who plays for Celtic as a goalkeeper.

De Vries began his professional career in his native the Netherlands with Telstar, before spending three seasons with ADO Den Haag. He moved to Britain in 2006, when he spent a season at Scottish club Dunfermline Athletic. before moving to Swansea City where he spent four seasons, culminating in promotion to the Premier League in 2011. He rejected a new deal with Swansea to instead join Wolverhampton Wanderers, with whom he spent two seasons largely as back-up. De Vries signed for Nottingham Forest in July 2013.

Club career

Netherlands

De Vries began his professional career at Telstar, making his first team debut during the 1999–2000 season. He remained with the club in the second tier of Dutch football until 2003, when he signed for Eredivisie side ADO Den Haag.

After mostly serving as back-up to Roland Jansen, he took over as number one during the 2004–05 campaign. However, this status proved short lived as the loan capture of Jaroslav Drobný during 2006 pushed de Vries aside, and he was told that he would not be offered a new contract.[2]

Dunfermline Athletic

In the summer of 2006, following a successful trial, he signed a contract with Scottish Premier League club Dunfermline Athletic.[3] He made his debut in a 0–0 draw with Ayr United in the second round of the Scottish League Cup, saving a penalty to take the game to extra time before going on to win in a penalty shoot-out.[4]

On 11 May 2007, he palmed a tame free kick into his own net against Inverness Caledonian Thistle to end Dunfermline's seven-year stay in the Scottish Premier League. However, following the game, Dunfermline manager Stephen Kenny refused to blame de Vries for his team's relegation, stating: "We can attach absolutely no blame to him because he has been out of this world this season.[5] His final game for the club came in the 2007 Scottish Cup Final defeat to Celtic.

Swansea City

After becoming a free agent at the end of his contract, De Vries signed a two-year deal at Swansea City on 6 July 2007.[6] In his first season with the Welsh side he helped the club to the League One title, as the club's first choice goalkeeper.

In the 2009–10 season, De Vries surpassed Roger Freestone's club record of 22 clean sheets in a single season with a shut-out against Scunthorpe United on 5 April 2010.[7] He would go on to finish the season with 25 clean sheets, winning the Football League's Golden Glove award for the Championship in the process.[8]

The following season he was part of the team that won the Championship Play-off Final, against Reading, to reach the Premier League. Initially, De Vries stated that he wanted to stay with the club for their first Premier League season.[9] However, he rejected their contract offer shortly after and was subsequently signed by Wolverhampton Wanderers.[10]

Wolverhampton Wanderers

On 22 June 2011, it was confirmed that free agent De Vries had joined Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, signing a three-year contract.[11] At Wolves, de Vries primarily served as back-up to Wayne Hennessey and initially only gained playing time in cup competitions. He made his club debut on 23 August 2011 in a 4–0 League Cup win at Northampton Town.[12]

When first choice goalkeeper Hennessey suffered a torn cruciate knee ligament in April 2012,[13] de Vries made his first-ever Premier League appearance.[14] However, by this stage Wolves had become rooted in the relegation zone and the 0–2 defeat against eventual champions Manchester City on de Vries' league debut confirmed their relegation back to the Championship.[15] De Vries remained in the Wolves' goal for their remaining fixtures, including a trip to his former club Swansea, before which he said that he has no regrets about his decision to leave Swansea and join Wolves;[16] he received mixed reception from Swansea fans and went on to concede four times in a 4–4 draw.[17]

Following relegation, de Vries was a target for Liverpool following their appointment of former Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers as manager,[18] but their bid of a reported £500,000 was not accepted.[19] With the new season beginning with Wayne Hennessey still sidelined through injury, new Wolves manager Ståle Solbakken opted to instead start with Carl Ikeme in goal. His only start under Solbakken came in a League Cup loss at Chelsea, during which the goalkeeper conceded six times.[20] In late October Solbakken admitted that he and de Vries had had an angry confrontation regarding his lack of opportunities.[21]

For a second consecutive season his chance to play league football only arrived through injury, when Ikeme suffered a self-inflicted broken hand in March 2013.[22] He played in all of Wolves' remaining fixtures as the team again struggled unsuccessfully to avoid relegation under another manager, Dean Saunders. Following relegation to League One, Saunders was fired and replaced by Kenny Jackett, who has stated that de Vries was free to leave on a free transfer as he sought to slim down the squad.[23]

Nottingham Forest

On 3 July 2013, de Vries signed a two-year deal with Championship club Nottingham Forest.[24] Upon joining the club, de Vries stated the move wouldn't be easy for him over a first choice goalkeeper.[25] De Vries was given the number 29 shirt.[26]

In his first season at Nottingham Forest, de Vries was primarily second choice goalkeeper behind Karl Darlow throughout the season, making his debut for the club on 21 April 2014 in a 2-1 win over Leeds United,[27] and remained in goal for the remainder of the season with Darlow injured. De Vries was again second choice in 2014-2015, eventually displacing Darlow for a spell including the 2-1 win over Derby County, but Darlow was re-instated by Dougie Freedman, immediately on replacing Stuart Pearce as manager.

Following Darlow's move to Newcastle United, de Vries was promoted to first-choice goalkeeper for the 2015–16 season and took the number one shirt.[28] He played in all but one of Forest's league games, missing the away fixture against Sheffield Wednesday with a back injury.[29] On 1 May 2016 de Vries was voted Player of the Season for 2015-16 by Forest's supporters after a consistent year in goal, which included a hat-trick of Player of the Month awards for August, February and March.[30]

Celtic

On 13 August 2016, de Vries signed a two-year deal with Celtic.[31] He made his debut on 27 August, playing the full game in Celtic's 41 win over Aberdeen at Celtic Park.[32]

Career statistics

As of 10 August 2016[33]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
ADO Den Haag 2003–04 Eredivisie 18000-180
2004–05 Eredivisie 31010-320
2005–06 Eredivisie 20000200
Total 69010700
Dunfermline Athletic 2006–07 Scottish Premier League 2705020-340
Swansea City 2007–08 League One 46040206[lower-alpha 1]0580
2008–09 Championship 4003030-460
2009–10 Championship 4601010-480
2010–11 Championship 46000203[lower-alpha 2]0510
Total 17808080902030
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2011–12 Premier League 402030-90
2012–13 Championship 1000010-110
Total 1402040200
Nottingham Forest 2013–14 Championship 30203080
2014–15 Championship 40101060
2015–16 Championship 4502010480
2016–17 Championship 10000010
Total 5305050630
Career total 3370210180903860

Honours

Swansea City
Individual

References

  1. 1 2 Hugman, Barry J., ed. (2008). The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09. Mainstream Publishing. pp. 120–121. ISBN 978-1-84596-324-8.
  2. "Quartet to leave ADO". Sky Sports. 30 March 2006.
  3. "Pars sign Morrison and De Vries". BBC Sport. 21 July 2006.
  4. "Ayr Utd 0–0 Dunfermline (6–7 pen)". BBC Sport. 22 August 2006.
  5. "Blunder keeper tipped for the top". BBC Sport. 14 May 2007.
  6. "Swansea sign goalkeeper De Vries". BBC Sport. 6 July 2007.
  7. "Swansea 3–0 Scunthorpe". BBC Sport. 5 April 2010.
  8. "Goalkeeper Dorus de Vries wins top accolade". BBC Sport. 3 June 2010.
  9. "Dorus keen to sort new deal at the Liberty". This is South Wales. 11 June 2011.
  10. "Wolves sign goalkeeper Dorus De Vries from Swansea". BBC Sport. 22 June 2011.
  11. "Wolves complete Dorus De Vries move". Express & Star. 22 June 2011.
  12. "Northampton 0–4 Wolves". BBC Sport. 23 August 2011.
  13. "Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey out for six months". BBC Sport. 18 April 2012.
  14. "It's Dorus' day". The Sun. 19 April 2012.
  15. "Wolves 0–2 Manchester City". BBC Sport. 22 April 2012.
  16. "No regrets: De Vries says he was right to quit high flying Swans for relegated Wolves". Daily Mail. 27 April 2012.
  17. "Dorus de Vries untroubled by mixed reception on Swansea City return". Wales Online. 30 April 2012.
  18. "Liverpool set to snap up £750k Wolves keeper De Vries before landing £15m Allen". Daily Mail. 25 July 2012.
  19. "Wolves reject Liverpool's £500k bid for goalkeeper De Vries". Daily Mail. 8 August 2012.
  20. "Chelsea 6–0 Wolves". BBC Sport. 25 September 2012.
  21. "Stale Solbakken admits to Dorus De Vries bust-up". Shropshire Star. 26 October 2012.
  22. "Boss confirms Ikeme break". Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. 19 March 2013.
  23. "Wolves grant Dorus De Vries a free transfer". Express & Star. 27 June 2013.
  24. "Dorus De Vries: Nottingham Forest sign Wolves keeper". BBC Sport. 3 July 2013.
  25. "Dorus' Difficult Task". Nottingham Forest. 3 July 2013. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  26. "Squad Numbers Announced". Nottingham Forest. 2 August 2013. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  27. "Leeds United 0-2 Nottingham Forest". BC Sport. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  28. "Newcastle sign Forest's Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow". BBC Sport. 9 August 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  29. "Player Statistics". Nottingham Forest F.C. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  30. "Dorus named the top man". Nottingham Forest F.C. 30 April 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  31. "Celtic delighted to sign goalkeeper Dorus de Vries". Celtic. 13 August 2016.
  32. English, Tom (27 August 2016). "Celtic 4 - 1 Aberdeen". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  33. Dorus de Vries career statistics at Soccerbase

External links

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