Dirk Kuyt has been named Holland's Player of the Year

[lfc4ever]

From the offal:

http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/news/drilldown/N153315060829-1007.htm

New signing Dirk Kuyt has been named Holland's Player of the Year at a ceremony hosted in his native country by the Dutch FA.

After a barnstorming second-half debut at home to West Ham on Saturday, the new Liverpool No.18 flew home to join up with the national side and attend the prestigious awards gala where he was presented with the Golden Boot award.

The award was recognition for the former Feyenoord striker being voted the best player in the Dutch league. Kuyt beat off strong competition from fellow international Philip Cocu and AZ full-back Tim de Cler and was presented with the trophy - won in the past by former Anfield star Jari Litmanen - by his father. The evening's entertainment ended with the new Kop hero performing a song on stage with Dutch musician Jan Smit.

You can watch 40 minutes of highlights or download a 10-minute package of the game against West Ham showcasing Kuyt's debut now if you are an e-Season Ticket holder>>

[puredale]

He went back to De Kuyp on Sunday to say goodbye to the Feyernoord fans and was given a right royal sendoff - and as is traditional on such occasions - he went out to the centre of the pitch and said his thanks and said he'd like to come 'home' one day and that he could only leave for his 'dream team' Liverpool.

It was 2nd item on the news - LFC are getting some good publicity over here!!

[Red_Polo]

There were a few Feyenoord fans with a banner for him at the West Ham match too. Quality

[Dirka Dirka]

Here a youtube clippy of Dirk celebrating in style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1xCPgskPDU

Enjoy

[lfc4ever]

Seems to have made quite an impression:

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0500liverpoolfc/0100news/tm_objectid=17643671%26method=full%26siteid=50061%26headline=entrance%2drivals%2dstars%2dof%2dscreen-name_page.html

Entrance rivals stars of screen

Aug 28 2006

BY ANDY PROUDFOOT, Liverpool Supporter

AS memorable entrances go, it probably wasn't quite up there with Ursula Andress emerging from the sea in Dr No, or even Cameron Diaz entering the bank in The Mask.

But the moment when Dirk Kuyt took the ball into his stride and flashed a shot inches wide of the post from 25 yards shortly after coming on as a substitute on Saturday may ultimately prove more exciting for this particular observer and more portentous of a great career for the performer.

What greater present to lay before the Kop on its 100th birthday than the apparent arrival of a ready-made terrace favourite?

For once, the standard new signing's declaration of delight on arriving at Anfield seemed utterly genuine as he milked the applause at the end of the match having given a committed, skilful, brave, and dangerous display that will surely mark him as a van Nistelrooy rather than a Kezman in the coming months. The sceptics among you may whisper the name Eric Meijer, but if this guy doesn't live up to his reputation, then we'll both be a Dutchman.

Kuyt's arrival wasn't the only encouraging sign on Saturday; both Pennant and Gonzalez showed that they could be the 'wingers-who-work' so precious and necessary in the modern game.

Daniel Agger again evoked wistful memories of Alan Hansen, though I don't remember even the Scottish maestro unleashing the sort of wicked, swerving, dipping drive from 25 yards like the Dane.

But Kuyt looks like he will be the main attraction.

[Red_Polo]

Here a youtube clippy of Dirk celebrating in style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1xCPgskPDU

Enjoy

Almost ****ing pissed myself laughing at that

[Rich]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AyFOHcxmDM

dirk tribute. Thing that strikes me about his time in Holland, is that he looks like an accomplished finisher, seems to find the space and the corners very well.

[lfc4ever]

More, more, more, how do you like it, how do you like it................................

Kuyt powers in to present Kop with super hero

Aug 28 2006

By Chris Beesley, Daily Post

ON the week the Kop celebrates its 100th birthday, the supporters who pack its world-famous banks have a new super hero - Dirk Kuyt.

With his shoulder-length flaxen locks, the Dutch marksman has an uncanny resemblance to He-Man, the animated children's favourite of the 1980s and Kopites will be hoping their latest favourite "has the power" to fire in the goals that provide a long overdue 19th League Championship.

There have been far too many "final pieces of the jigsaw" when it comes to putting together a new Championship-winning squad at Anfield, so we won't go down that well-trodden lane.

But from the moment Kuyt took to the field against West Ham United on Saturday, the home fans smelled goals and the visitors smelled fear.

An action-packed 40-minute second-half cameo wasn't quite enough for Deadly Dirk to break his duck but it seems only a matter of time before the nets starts bulging in prolific fashion if this performance is anything to go by.

Indeed, barely seconds after his arrival for subsequent match-winner Peter Crouch, seven minutes after the interval, Kuyt was almost off the mark himself.

Taking up an instant position in the inside-left berth, Liverpool's new number 18, latched on to a knock-down from Luis Garcia and controlling the ball with his first touch in a Liverpool jersey, fired the ball just wide of Roy Carroll's left-hand post with a fizzing effort from his second.

Two more gilt-edged chances were fashioned in a hectic two-minute spell as Kuyt flashed in a header from a left-wing Garcia cross while skipper Steven Gerrard slipped the ball through to the striker, only for the linesman to flag for offside.

While Kuyt's impressive scoring ratio in the Eredivisie was an obvious marker of his talents, the 26-year-old showed he has far more facets to his game.

Again Liverpool were denied by a marginal offside decision when Craig Bellamy's chip over Carroll was ruled out but the telling ball to the Welshman had come from Kuyt's incisive pass.

Also, Kuyt also showed an ability to create chances for himself from nothing as he again drifted in from the left and created an opening before letting fly with a stinger which the now over-worked Carroll pushed wide.

However, this was far from just a one-man show and while the 2-1 scoreline in Rafael Benitez's troops favour suggests a close game, the home side were always in control after a quickfire two-goal blast just before half-time which took the wind out of Alan Pardew's previously 'Happy Hammers' who seemed to run out of ideas.

The international break next weekend means that, coming six days before the September 1 anniversary date, the West Ham game marked the centenary of the Kop.

Thankfully, temperatures stayed well below the 124-degree scorcher that the matchday programme informed us was recorded the day the Kop saw its first game against Stoke in 1906 but West Ham turned up the heat 12 minutes in with a goal that shocked the world-famous terrace.

Yet it was another relative newcomer, 21-year-old Danish centre-half Daniel Agger, who finally beat Carroll with a left-foot screamer.

Hammers' hearts sunk and a side which had looked bright and breezy crumbled, with what proved to be Liverpool's winner following just three minutes later. Garcia slipped the ball through to Crouch who again showed what a tidy footballer he is by sliding past the keeper before firing into the empty net.

Home fans may have whistled their disapproval before kick-off as their heroes were forced to attack the Kop in the first half but these two late first-half presents ensured it was a happy birthday for the old lady of Walton Breck Road.

http://icliverpool.icnetwork.co.uk/0500liverpoolfc/0100news/tm_objectid=17643670%26method=full%26siteid=50061%26headline=kuyt%2dpowers%2din%2dto%2dpresent%2dkop%2dwith%2dsuper%2dhero%2d-name_page.html

[puredale]

Who won the toss?

[marls]

What I love most about this guy is that he seems to have won the hearts of many. Only haters that I've seen so far are completely unfounded and worthless opinions (usually from mancs or chavski fans). There's a scene in that last video tribute where he is punching the sky and the crowd is just loving him.

He's going to be good for liverpool even if he doesn't score a goal.