Piet Velthuizen
Encyclopedia
Piet Velthuizen (ˈpit ˈvɛlt.ˌɦœy̯.zə(n)) (born 3 November 1986 in Nijmegen, Gelderland
Gelderland
Gelderland is the largest province of the Netherlands, located in the central eastern part of the country. The capital city is Arnhem. The two other major cities, Nijmegen and Apeldoorn have more inhabitants. Other major regional centers in Gelderland are Ede, Doetinchem, Zutphen, Tiel, Wijchen,...

), is a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

 goalkeeper who currently plays for Vitesse. He is a Dutch international
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...

. He has participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and several other cities in the People's Republic of China from 6 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23 teams to participate...

.

Vitesse

Velthuizen made his first first team debut on 31 December 2006, in the 2–2 away match against Willem II. His career developed rapidly, and according to Sky Sports
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...

, he is, as of 2008, among the most promising goalkeepers in Europe. He broke into the Vitesse first team in the 2007–08 season, when he signed a contract extension until 2011.

International career

Velthuizen received his first call-up to the Dutch squad
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...

 on 21 March 2008 for the friendly match against Austria. On 5 September 2009, he made his debut for the national team in a friendly match against Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...

 after coming on as a half time substitute for Michel Vorm
Michel Vorm
Michel Vorm is a Dutch football goalkeeper, currently playing for Swansea City. He is also renowned for his remarkable penalty saving abilities, earning him the nickname 'The Penalty Killer'.-FC Den Bosch:...

. He managed to keep a clean sheet in the 3:0 win.

2008 Summer Olympics

He was selected by Foppe de Haan
Foppe de Haan
Foppe de Haan OON is a Dutch football coach. He is known for his long association with Frisian club SC Heerenveen. De Haan is currently manager of the Tuvalu national football team.-Career:...

 to be in the squad for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...

, China. Although being first choice in most of the run-up to the Olympics, he was told by De Haan he would be second choice after the other Dutch goalkeeper in the squad; Kenneth Vermeer
Kenneth Vermeer
Kenneth Vermeer is a Dutch footballer who plays goalkeeper for AFC Ajax. He has been capped for the Netherlands U-21 team but has so far failed to break into the national team.- Career :...

.
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