Gijs Luirink
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| Gijs Luirink | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gijs Luirink | |
| Date of birth | September 12, 1983 | |
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | |
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 21⁄2 in) | |
| Playing position | Defender | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | AZ | |
| Number | 3 | |
| Youth career | ||
| FC Abcoude Ajax |
||
| Senior career1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 2001-04 2004-06 2006- |
FC Volendam FC Groningen AZ |
57 (2) 21 (1) 16 (1) |
| National team2 | ||
| Netherlands | 0 (0) | |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Gijs Luirink (born 12 September 1983 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland) is a Dutch footballer, who plays as a central defender for AZ Alkmaar and has played for the Netherlands U-21 team. He began his career at FC Volendam, making 57 league appearances for the club. In 2004, the club was relegated to the Eerste Divisie, and Luirink moved to F.C. Groningen.
He is considered as a very talented, tall and strong central defender, first acknowledged by former U-21 coach Foppe de Haan for his strong performances at FC Groningen. However he has been haunted by injury for several seasons. Preventing him from making his final breakthrough.
[edit] FC Groningen
At Groningen, he earned himself a place in the starting line-up as central defender, playing 20 games in Eredivisie, often partnerring with Gibril Sankoh or Arnold Kruiswijk. In that season of 05/06, Luirink helped Groningen surprisingly acheave a fifth place and in the following play-offs UEFA cup football. Halfway in the season, Groningen left the Oosterpark Stadium for a new one, the Euroborg. Which almost immediately got the nickname "the green hell", as it was very difficult for other teams to win there. In the competition, Groningen were unbeaten in the their new stadium. Only PSV managed to win there in a cup match.
[edit] AZ Alkmaar
As he made a good impression at Groningen and for the Dutch U-21, AZ acted quickly and signed him. He started as a regular, but he appeared in only 16 matches for AZ in the season 06/07 because he picked up some severe injuries that kept him out most of the season. Having not made any appearances in the season 07/08 due to injury, Luirink played during the preparation of the following season but lightning struck again for Luirink, and he suffered another heavy knee injury, and during recovery things got worse as he had several setbacks and suffered from thrombosis in his leg. Despite all that, he recovered and was ready to return in the squad halfway through the season 08/09. Making his official return as a substitute on January twelfth 2009 in a friendly match against AGOVV.
[edit] International career
He was the captain of the Dutch squad that won the UEFA U-21 Championship in 2006. He made the preselection of the Dutch squad for a match with Ireland in August 2006.
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