Edgar Davids

Edgar Steven Davids (born 13 March 1973) is a Dutch former professional footballer.

He made his first team debut on 6 September 1991 in a 5–1 home win over RKC Waalwijk.

He helped the Amsterdam club to three domestic Eredivisie titles, as well as continental success with the 1992 UEFA Cup and the 1995 UEFA Champions League.

In the 1996 UEFA Champions League final, he missed Ajax's first penalty in the shoot-out, which they ultimately lost to Juventus.

While at Ajax, Davids was nicknamed "The Pitbull" by Ajax manager Louis van Gaal due to his fierce style of play in the team's midfield.

At the start of the 1996–97 season, Davids moved to Italy to play for AC Milan on a free transfer alongside team-mate Michael Reiziger, both early beneficiaries of the "Bosman ruling".

In an unsuccessful season in which defending champions Milan changed their manager twice and finished 11th in Serie A, Davids broke his leg in a 1–0 defeat at Perugia on 23 February 1997.

After failing to recover his place in the team he was allowed to join league rivals Juventus in December 1997 for a reduced 9 billion Italian lire (£3 million) transfer fee.

At Juventus he soon became a permanent first team member in the midfield, usually playing on the left flank or in the centre, as a defensive midfielder, forming a notable midfield partnership alongside French playmaker Zinedine Zidane.

Six successful years in Turin followed, with Davids helping the side to the Serie A title in 1998, 2002 and 2003, as well as two Supercoppa Italiana and the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Juventus manager Marcello Lippi once described him as "my one-man engine room".

He had also previously managed to reach the Champions League final with Juventus in 1998, followed by a semi-final finish during the 1998–99 season, as well as reaching the 2002 Coppa Italia Final.

Davids' arrival has been cited as the catalyst for the Catalan club's dominance of Spanish and European football during the mid-to-late 2000s (decade), with Barcelona winning La Liga the following season (after five years without winning the league title) and a La Liga and Champions League double in 2005–06.

Davids was often inspirational in Europe, playing 15 times as the club made it all the way to the 2002–03 Champions League final before losing to Milan on penalties.

After beginning his career with Ajax, winning several domestic and international titles, he subsequently played in Italy for AC Milan, and later enjoyed a successful spell with Juventus, before being loaned out to Barcelona in 2004.

He went on to play for Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur before returning to Ajax.

Having struggled with injuries for two years, Davids returned to competitive football during a brief spell with Crystal Palace before retiring at the age of 37.

In 2004, he was one of the players chosen by Pelé to feature in the FIFA 100, his list of the world's greatest living footballers.

Davids was born in Suriname and is of Afro-Surinamese and Jewish descent from his mother.

The family moved to the Netherlands when Davids was an infant.

His cousin Lorenzo is also a footballer.

After being rejected on two previous occasions by the club, Davids started his career at the age of 12 with Ajax.

Davids joined Barcelona on loan in January 2004 from Juventus.

Joining midway through a season where the club was struggling in mid-table and recently appointed manager Frank Rijkaard was under considerable pressure, Davids led Barça's successful resurgence of form which saw them finishing second to Valencia in La Liga.

In the summer of 2004, Davids permanently moved on to Italian club Inter Milan on a three-year contract.

When Inter terminated the remaining years of his contract in August 2005, he moved to England on a free transfer to play for Tottenham Hotspur.

He had a successful stay at Tottenham and instantly became a fan favourite.

His first and only goal was in a 2–1 away win against Wigan Athletic.

Davids played for Spurs in the 2005–06 and the 2006–07 seasons, with the club finishing fifth in both seasons.

Davids signed once more for Ajax on 28 January 2007 and played his first match against club rivals Feyenoord on 4 February.

After the mid-season switch, Davids proved his value for the Ajax team again.

He was one of the key midfielders in the run for the Dutch championship that was lost on one single goal to PSV on the final day of the league.

He also played a major role in Ajax's cup campaign.

He secured the KNVB Cup for Ajax by scoring the final penalty in a thrilling penalty shoot-out against AZ.

Prior to the start of the 2007–08 season, Davids' leg was broken in a pre-season friendly against Go Ahead Eagles, sidelining him for around three months.

In 2012, he was appointed player-manager at the English League Two club Barnet.

He resigned by mutual agreement as manager in January 2014.

He was capped 74 times by the Netherlands at international level, scoring six goals, and represented his country at the FIFA World Cup (once) and the UEFA European Championship (three times).

One of the greatest and most recognisable players of his generation, Davids often stood out on the football field due to his dreadlocked hair and the protective goggles he wore due to glaucoma.

A combative and energetic, yet creative and skilful midfielder, Davids was nicknamed "The Pitbull" by Louis van Gaal because of his marking ability, aggression, and hard tackling style of play.