With almost 300 games for Liverpool and almost 200 for Feyenoord, Dirk Kuyt has gotten the most out of his career as a footballer. The ambition to achieve great things as a trainer is there, but for the former attacker that dream is not yet going as hoped. After a period at Feyenoord Under 19, Kuyt left for The Hague, but things did not go as hoped at ADO, partly due to a turbulent situation at the board. The champion hero talks candidly about the choices he has made, the learning moments and his future.
“That was quite intense,” Kuyt begins in the KieftJansenEgmondGijp podcast about the start of his coaching career. “Because you are also used to working at a certain level. Liverpool, Fenerbahce, Feyenoord, but also Utrecht, they are all well-organized organizations. Then I came to ADO and then I thought: I will do that. We have I had the first conversation with Rob (his agent, Ed.) here with Ignacio, the director who had to appoint a trainer on behalf of the American group, which was actually a very positive conversation.”
Kuyt sees that he chose too quickly for the rosy story in The Hague. “The mistake I made for myself is that I thought: ‘I’m just going to do that’. There was actually no technical director. I just let all that happen, but was very busy with my own team and staff, because my training had taught me that you had to have it all together. But now that I have that experience, that is much less important than having good people above you, who can ensure that you can focus on get results.”
Shift down
Earlier in the podcast it was discussed how Marco van Basten, as coach of the Dutch national team, expected things from his players that not every player understood. Due to his experience at the absolute top, it was difficult to convey some things to ‘lesser’ football players. While Kuyt emphasizes the fact that it should absolutely not seem as if ADO Den Haag was too small a club for him, it is something he also had difficulty with. “In any case, I found it very interesting to experience that, because you come into situations in which you feel very clear, but you always have to switch back to make it more understandable. I have had many learning moments and I have also need you as a trainer.”
False start
It is very striking how calmly Kuyt talks about the lessons he has learned, the mistakes he has made and how sorry he is that it did not work out. “You just want to be successful, so it’s just frustrating when you spend 80/90 hours a week doing everything you can, but you don’t get the results you want.” His adventure actually started with a huge setback, when ADO lost the final of the Play Offs in an insane match (4-4) against Excelsior after penalties. “I was watching that match and then you lose it, so you started with a lot of negativity.”
Current tasks
“It is of course a negative story, but I see it as an extension of my training, where I will do many things better and differently,” Kuyt concludes the story about his period in The Hague. After his dismissal in November 2022, the 104-time Dutch international took a period of rest in order not to be in the media too much. He did not want to unconsciously blame others when he was asked questions about how things went wrong. What did he do? “I started traveling a lot and also have a lot of contact with Liverpool, for example regularly with Pepijn Lijnders, Jürgen Klopp’s assistant, but that also allowed me to do quite a lot of things commercially.”
“So I have been to Hong Kong, Malaysia, Bangkok and also to Europe for Liverpool’s sponsor,” Kuyt continues about the work he has done in recent months. In the background, he and his agent are looking to see if there will be a club that suits him. “I am now working with Rob to take the right step, although it is not easy. I did my training at Feyenoord, where I was coach of the Under 19s, which went well in itself, but in a less fun way. “The way I left there. That also affects what people think about you. The step I am going to take now is damn important, because I cannot afford to take another step like that.”
Feyenoord
“During the entire treatment with Feyenoord, it was agreed that he would become head coach after his career, that was common knowledge,” agent Jansen begins when Wim Kieft asks how the end at Feyenoord went for Kuyt. “That was going to happen and then Frank Arnesen’s opinion changed, because he got a different view on it. Then you see what happens to a career. Everything was ready for the head coachship at Feyenoord. Arne Slot came afterwards and let’s be honest he has done extremely well, but that is beside the point.”
Kuyt is very disappointed with how things turned out for the people of Rotterdam, but perhaps even more regrets that his image has changed so much, partly due to his book and a documentary. “I understand very well that this has also changed the image of me a bit. And I felt, especially in retrospect, that I was not ready to become Feyenoord’s coach. It was a difficult period for me privately and I found it very It’s a pity that Frank hadn’t said right from the start: ‘Hey, listen, this isn’t the right time’. Then I think we would have come to an agreement, but at that moment I was very disappointed, because I heard from other people that the story would turn out differently.”
I felt, especially afterwards, that I was not ready to become Feyenoord’s coach
Future
Now Kuyt mainly looks at what the future will bring him. The former attacker knows one thing for sure. “I have the ambition to be very close to that field and I also think I can do that well. I just haven’t proven it yet and there is always a certain drive in me to do that, despite the fact that I I have a very nice life. There is a certain ambition to still achieve something as a trainer.”
“We’ll see what the future brings. Now I have found the peace that I can just say no. There was a club in Turkey that had made an offer, but then we just say no. I have become a bit more realistic.” , Kuyt ends his story.
2023-12-16 11:53:00
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