Liverpool FC Forum

Redman in wales wrote:just scored against england

Owzat wrote:Is it just me or does he look a bit slimmer? Might just be orange that makes him look that way!

s@int wrote:DIRK KUYT FLYS THE FLAG
Liverpool star works as hard off the pitch as on it.


CHARITY WORK - Dirk Kuyt

By CHRIS BASCOMBE, 03/10/2009

SITTING in a dentist's chair in Bootle, Dirk Kuyt was hit with a familiar request.

"Any chance of a signed Liverpool shirt?" he was asked, the sight and sound of a drill no doubt making the answer a formality.


Kuyt needed no persuasion.


"My dentist told me his friend's child needed an eye operation in China and they were trying to raise money to send him over there," explained the Dutch striker.


"I handed over a shirt for an auction. I heard recently their fundraising was a success and the child has seen for the first time. I love to hear stories like that."


Footballers not only possess the power to entertain but to change lives with simple gestures.


For Kuyt, it goes beyond collecting his team-mates' signatures and turning up for a couple of charity nights.


He's a player who talks like he plays: in fluent socialist.


A reputation for being the ultimate team player on the pitch is matched by his tireless efforts off it.


Like many in his trade, the Dutch forward was to be found on a beach during the summer holidays. But he wasn't sunning himself in a millionaire's paradise.


He spent July working with disabled youngsters in his hometown of Katwijk, taking as much pleasure from his annual beach soccer event as he has in his 44 Liverpool goals.


The Dirk Kuyt Foundation - set up well before his transfer to Anfield brought fame and wealth - has raised thousands for Aids charities in Africa and South America.


"I think my attitude comes from my upbringing, particularly the fishing village where I'm from," explains Kuyt.


"I learned from my parents the value of hard work and doing as much as possible to help other people.


"My father was a fisherman who started working at 14. He had to do everything to provide for his family. He worked every day until his death when he was 60.


"All the friends I have from my village have this attitude. Everyone there has had to work really hard to achieve something and the philosophy is to share whatever they have. I feel that's in my blood.


"When I was at Feyenoord, I was friends with another player from my village, Gert Aandwiel, and we spoke about what more we could do. That's when we came up with the idea of the foundation.


"My wife, Gertrude, and I started by sponsoring children in Nepal. We discovered money was needed to build care homes for those who'd been abandoned after being born with Aids.


"We became involved in similar schemes in Ghana and Brazil. Now we tend to focus more on causes in Holland. After five years, the foundation had grown beyond our expectations.


"We began with eight volunteers working free of charge, but now we have a full-time staff member.


"A lot of people asked me why I would do this now rather than when I retired but I knew this was the best time to do as much as I can.


"By the time my career is over I hope I'll have built a huge network to take the foundation from strength to strength. I can't always be there to oversee the projects but I know the good work is going on."


Kuyt's success has inspired other top players to follow suit.


"A lot of players get involved but don't want the attention," he said. "One of my Liverpool team-mates last season made a sizeable donation to charity but he didn't want publicity.


"A lot of people talk about the money we earn in football but I'd say at least 50 per cent of players I know do a lot of charity work.


"When I joined Liverpool I immediately noticed how involved the club is in this area, especially Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.


"Carra is planning to start a foundation of his own, as is Craig Bellamy, and there are players in Holland like Arjen Robben and Ruud van Nistelrooy who are doing the same.


"I understand that some don't want attention for their work, but my philosophy is to use my profile to raise as much awareness for these causes as possible. It's not important how you do it, just that you do.



FOUNDATION - Jamie Carragher
"I didn't know a lot about the city of Liverpool before I came here but I quickly realised the attitude to life of many of the people is similar to mine.


"This is a city where there have been hard times and people want to help each other."


Often lauded for leaving every ounce of energy on the pitch, the 29-year-old Kuyt believes his application has enabled him to defy those who doubted his ability as a teenager.


"I know the qualities I have and the qualities I don't," he admits.


"When I was younger no one thought I'd be a professional footballer.


"I went to some clubs and they'd say I wouldn't go beyond a certain level, but I wanted to prove them wrong.


"I had to choose when I was younger between being a fisherman or a footballer.


"Then I qualified to be a painter and decorator but I was thinking always about the game and aiming to join the local amateur team. It was a good decision to stick to the football in the end.


"Football has given me so much now I feel I want to give something back.


"I've not many new friends because in the football world it's difficult to know who your friends really are. That's why I appreciate those who are closest to me, who I've known before I was a big success.


"We have good friends in Liverpool too, but it takes time to get that trust.I've seen how some players have been hurt by putting their trust in the wrong people.


"Scousers tend to be more upfront and tell you straight what they think. I prefer this to those who are nice to your face but then stick a knife in your back."


And on the subject of backstabbing . . . if Kuyt is a symbol of what can be achieved by maximising talent, Jermaine Pennant is the opposite. Yet the ex-Liverpool winger astonishingly argued in Sport of the World a week ago that Rafa Benitez only picked Kuyt to justify his fee.


"I have nothing bad to say about him," insists Kuyt. "It's up to Jermaine what he says but I always enjoyed having him as a team-mate so I was surprised by what he said."


When Liverpool head to Stamford Bridge today Kuyt will be one of the first names on Benitez's team sheet.


And while his popularity on Merseyside may owe something to his efforts off the field, he insists his thoughts will all be on it.


"When I step on the pitch I don't think about anything except winning the game and enjoying myself as much as possible.


"We've done well, played some unbelievable games and gone really close, but we know we have to do more and push even harder.


"We've consistently shown we can beat the best teams in the Premier League, especially last season. Now we have to show it again."


Sorry about where its from.

Kuyt may not be everyones favourite player, but there is no doubt he is a top bloke.

dawson99 wrote:Kuyt is class. simple as

s@int wrote:DIRK KUYT FLYS THE FLAG
Liverpool star works as hard off the pitch as on it.


CHARITY WORK - Dirk Kuyt

By CHRIS BASCOMBE, 03/10/2009

SITTING in a dentist's chair in Bootle, Dirk Kuyt was hit with a familiar request.

"Any chance of a signed Liverpool shirt?" he was asked, the sight and sound of a drill no doubt making the answer a formality.


Kuyt needed no persuasion.


"My dentist told me his friend's child needed an eye operation in China and they were trying to raise money to send him over there," explained the Dutch striker.


"I handed over a shirt for an auction. I heard recently their fundraising was a success and the child has seen for the first time. I love to hear stories like that."


Footballers not only possess the power to entertain but to change lives with simple gestures.


For Kuyt, it goes beyond collecting his team-mates' signatures and turning up for a couple of charity nights.


He's a player who talks like he plays: in fluent socialist.


A reputation for being the ultimate team player on the pitch is matched by his tireless efforts off it.


Like many in his trade, the Dutch forward was to be found on a beach during the summer holidays. But he wasn't sunning himself in a millionaire's paradise.


He spent July working with disabled youngsters in his hometown of Katwijk, taking as much pleasure from his annual beach soccer event as he has in his 44 Liverpool goals.


The Dirk Kuyt Foundation - set up well before his transfer to Anfield brought fame and wealth - has raised thousands for Aids charities in Africa and South America.


"I think my attitude comes from my upbringing, particularly the fishing village where I'm from," explains Kuyt.


"I learned from my parents the value of hard work and doing as much as possible to help other people.


"My father was a fisherman who started working at 14. He had to do everything to provide for his family. He worked every day until his death when he was 60.


"All the friends I have from my village have this attitude. Everyone there has had to work really hard to achieve something and the philosophy is to share whatever they have. I feel that's in my blood.


"When I was at Feyenoord, I was friends with another player from my village, Gert Aandwiel, and we spoke about what more we could do. That's when we came up with the idea of the foundation.


"My wife, Gertrude, and I started by sponsoring children in Nepal. We discovered money was needed to build care homes for those who'd been abandoned after being born with Aids.


"We became involved in similar schemes in Ghana and Brazil. Now we tend to focus more on causes in Holland. After five years, the foundation had grown beyond our expectations.


"We began with eight volunteers working free of charge, but now we have a full-time staff member.


"A lot of people asked me why I would do this now rather than when I retired but I knew this was the best time to do as much as I can.


"By the time my career is over I hope I'll have built a huge network to take the foundation from strength to strength. I can't always be there to oversee the projects but I know the good work is going on."


Kuyt's success has inspired other top players to follow suit.


"A lot of players get involved but don't want the attention," he said. "One of my Liverpool team-mates last season made a sizeable donation to charity but he didn't want publicity.


"A lot of people talk about the money we earn in football but I'd say at least 50 per cent of players I know do a lot of charity work.


"When I joined Liverpool I immediately noticed how involved the club is in this area, especially Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher.


"Carra is planning to start a foundation of his own, as is Craig Bellamy, and there are players in Holland like Arjen Robben and Ruud van Nistelrooy who are doing the same.


"I understand that some don't want attention for their work, but my philosophy is to use my profile to raise as much awareness for these causes as possible. It's not important how you do it, just that you do.



FOUNDATION - Jamie Carragher
"I didn't know a lot about the city of Liverpool before I came here but I quickly realised the attitude to life of many of the people is similar to mine.


"This is a city where there have been hard times and people want to help each other."


Often lauded for leaving every ounce of energy on the pitch, the 29-year-old Kuyt believes his application has enabled him to defy those who doubted his ability as a teenager.


"I know the qualities I have and the qualities I don't," he admits.


"When I was younger no one thought I'd be a professional footballer.


"I went to some clubs and they'd say I wouldn't go beyond a certain level, but I wanted to prove them wrong.


"I had to choose when I was younger between being a fisherman or a footballer.


"Then I qualified to be a painter and decorator but I was thinking always about the game and aiming to join the local amateur team. It was a good decision to stick to the football in the end.


"Football has given me so much now I feel I want to give something back.


"I've not many new friends because in the football world it's difficult to know who your friends really are. That's why I appreciate those who are closest to me, who I've known before I was a big success.


"We have good friends in Liverpool too, but it takes time to get that trust.I've seen how some players have been hurt by putting their trust in the wrong people.


"Scousers tend to be more upfront and tell you straight what they think. I prefer this to those who are nice to your face but then stick a knife in your back."


And on the subject of backstabbing . . . if Kuyt is a symbol of what can be achieved by maximising talent, Jermaine Pennant is the opposite. Yet the ex-Liverpool winger astonishingly argued in Sport of the World a week ago that Rafa Benitez only picked Kuyt to justify his fee.


"I have nothing bad to say about him," insists Kuyt. "It's up to Jermaine what he says but I always enjoyed having him as a team-mate so I was surprised by what he said."


When Liverpool head to Stamford Bridge today Kuyt will be one of the first names on Benitez's team sheet.


And while his popularity on Merseyside may owe something to his efforts off the field, he insists his thoughts will all be on it.


"When I step on the pitch I don't think about anything except winning the game and enjoying myself as much as possible.


"We've done well, played some unbelievable games and gone really close, but we know we have to do more and push even harder.


"We've consistently shown we can beat the best teams in the Premier League, especially last season. Now we have to show it again."


Sorry about where its from.

Kuyt may not be everyones favourite player, but there is no doubt he is a top bloke.

You know, with the camps fairly polarized around Kuyt and with him often being the butt of jokes it's sometimes easy to forget what an exceptionally generous and giving man he is, on and off the pitch.  This fella would run through brick walls for the club, knows precisely how much it means to wear the shirt, doesn't have a bad thing to say about anyone--including a certain Jermaine Pennant--and is spending his spare moments making a real difference in the world.  We've all heard how he has his limits as a player but we simply don't hear enough about his limitless excellence as a man.  Dirk Kuyt, I salute you.