Dorus de Vries

Dorus de Vries (born 29 December 1980) is a Dutch former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

De Vries began his professional career in his native the Netherlands with Telstar, before spending three seasons with ADO Den Haag.

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.

He moved to Britain in 2006, when he spent a season at Scottish club Dunfermline Athletic.

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.

In the summer of 2006, following a successful trial, he signed a contract with Scottish Premier League club Dunfermline Athletic.

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 match to extra time before going on to win in a penalty shoot-out.

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 match, 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."

His final match for the club came in the 2007 Scottish Cup Final defeat to Celtic.

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.

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.

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.

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.

However, he rejected their contract offer shortly after and was subsequently signed by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

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.

On 22 June 2011, it was confirmed that free agent De Vries had joined Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers, signing a three-year contract.

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.

When first choice goalkeeper Hennessey suffered a torn cruciate knee ligament in April 2012, De Vries made his first-ever Premier League appearance.

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.

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; he received mixed reception from Swansea fans and went on to concede four times in a 4–4 draw.

Following relegation, De Vries was a target for Liverpool following their appointment of former Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers as manager, but their bid of a reported £500,000 was not accepted.

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.

In late October Solbakken admitted that he and De Vries had had an angry confrontation regarding his lack of opportunities.

De Vries then signed for Nottingham Forest in July 2013.

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.

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.

On 3 July 2013, De Vries signed a two-year deal with Championship club Nottingham Forest.

Upon joining the club, De Vries stated the move wouldn't be easy for him over a first choice goalkeeper.

De Vries was given the number 29 shirt.

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, and remained in goal for the remainder of the season with Darlow injured.

He retired from football in 2019, after three seasons with Celtic.