Mark Overmars was considered the ideal side midfielder. His rapid passes along the flank were quite expected by the opponents. At the same time, they were very dangerous. Coordinating his movements, the football player moved to the center with lightning speed and aimed at the goal. Due to he alth problems, he was forced to end his career at the age of thirty-one. The thing is that the defenders of the opposing teams were afraid of a high-speed player. They often beat him on the legs, which led to multiple injuries. The brilliant career of the Dutchman in clubs and the national team will be discussed in the article, as well as his successes, which he has achieved during his career.
Football player details
Mark Overmars was born on 1973-29-03 in the small town of Emst (Netherlands). To date, he has completed his career as a football player. Playing in clubs, he took the position of midfielder-striker.
Parameters:
- height - 174 cm;
- weight - about 70 kg.
Who brought Mark to football? This will be discussed further.
The beginning of a football career
The career of the future football player is directly related to his brother Edwin,who was the striker of the Forward, Eagles! up to twenty-four years of age. He had to end his own career prematurely due to a knee injury. So Mark Overmars got a mentor who brought him to football. At the age of six, the boy became a student, and later a player of the SV Epe team (1979-1987). By the age of fourteen, he made his debut in his brother's club "Forward, Eagles!" (1987-1991). Due to his short stature, he was not put in the position of a central striker. So he played on the flanks. As a result, the position of the winger has become his calling card.
At the age of seventeen, the young man signed a contract with the Willem II club (1991-1992), which played in the Premier League. He played only one season for the club, but managed to make a lasting impression on the Dutch football community. Thanks to his high-speed regime and amazing passes, the young man was invited to play in more serious teams. Mark Overmars, a Dutch footballer, had to decide where he should go: to the Italian Genoa or his native Ajax. The choice immediately fell on the Amsterdam club, where his idol, Johan Kruif, once played.
Work at Ajax (1992-1997)
In 1992, Overmars Mark joined Van Gaal's team. It was here that his gaming potential was revealed in full. The footballer turned out to be an excellent corner taker and free-kick shooter. And he was great with both feet. For his speed and ability to give assists, he was nicknamed "rapid". Since Mark had a sense of goal, he became very dangerous for many players.rival. At the same time, Overmars was quite tactful. He rarely received warnings from the referee and never saw a red light in front of him.
The footballer spent five seasons at the club. During this time he managed to score forty-six goals. Ajax, with the help of a strong game and goals from the player, won the national Cup and won the Champions League. In 1995, the team won the European Super Cup, the Intercontinental Cup. Unsuccessful for the athlete will be the 1996 season, when a knee injury will erase six months from his playing practice. After recovering from injury, the player decided to move to London.
Work at Arsenal (1997-2000)
Mark Overmars found his home at Arsenal. It has been a brilliant season for the club as the league and FA Cup have been won. The Dutch footballer was able to score twelve goals without receiving a single yellow card. With his game, he was able to conquer the local audience. Soon all of London knew Overmars by sight. His photos were in all the magazines. At the club, he found good interaction with Dennis Bergkamp. In his face, he saw not only an excellent teacher, but also a best friend. Moreover, they were partners in the national team of their country.
In the next two seasons, the club will finish the English Premier League with a second-place finish. Manchester United will be ahead. And in 2000, Overmars Mark (footballer) warned the club that he wanted to leave Arsenal. They are interested in Barcelona. However, the club was in no hurry to acquire the player for twenty million euros. He was wantedsee in action at the European Championships. Although the Dutch team did not perform at a high level, Mark was great. Especially when he was able to score two goals against Yugoslavia.
Work at Barcelona (2000-2004)
Thanks to an excellent game, twenty-seven-year-old Mark moved to a new club. He spent two seasons there. In the first, he was able to score eight goals in decisive matches. However, the team was only fourth in the championship. In the second season, Mark Overmars (clubs Ajax and Arsenal) began to fall into the subs. The reasons lay in his injury and the tactics of Carles Rexach. This strategy of the coach led to the same fourth place and his resignation. By the summer, the footballer had an operation. He started the road to recovery. However, the sunset of a career was a foregone conclusion, and by 2004 it was over. True, there was another attempt to return to football in 2008. Mark again started playing for the Forward, Eagles! club, but another injury would finally decide everything.
Performances for the national team
Let's go back a little. In 1993, the young man's dream came true: Mark Overmars, a Dutch player, began to play for the national team. The debut took place on February 24, 1993 in a match against the Turkish national team. The Netherlands team won with a score of 3:1, and Mark opened the scoring, scoring the ball into the opponents' goal in the fifth minute. In 1994, he participated in all five games of the World Cup in the USA. Then his team reached the quarterfinals, losing to the Brazilians, who eventually won the championship.
In 1998Guus Hiddink's players showed excellent tactics at the World Championships in France. They drew with Belgium and Mexico, defeated South Korea, defeated Yugoslavia and advanced to the quarterfinals. Having won the Argentines, they went to the semi-finals and again stumbled over the Brazilian national team, losing a pen alty shootout to it. Unfortunately, Mark could not play in the last match due to a knee injury received the day before. As a result, the Netherlands team finished fourth. The team with Overmars played no less successfully in the early 2000s, until his career ended.
Achievements
Over the years, Mark Overmars, whose biography is described in the article, won many cups and medals, playing in clubs and the national team. His main achievements:
- Dutch Champion (three times).
- Dutch Cup and Supercup (twice)
- Win the Champions League (Ajax).
- UEFA Super Cup (Ajax).
- Intercontinental Cup (Ajax).
- Champion of England (Arsenal).
- FA Cup and Super Cup (Arsenal).
- UEFA Cup (Arsenal).
- Fourth place at the World Championships in 1998.
- Bronze at the European Championships in 2000 and 2004
Working as CTO
Since 2012, Mark Overmars, whose career has ended, has become the technical director of his former club, Ajax. It ensures the full functioning of the club academy. In addition, he conducts transfers, looking for new talents. After completing his career as a football player, hereturned to the club, which revealed his full potential.
