Steven Jerome Pienaar is a
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n footballer who plays for English Premier League club
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
. He can play on either the right or left wing and is also a member of the
South African national teamThe South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
. Pienaar has previously played for Ajax Cape Town, Ajax,
Borussia DortmundBallspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
and
EvertonEverton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
. Pienaar stated a few years before retirement he would make a transfer to Orlando Pirates FC.
Ajax Cape Town
Born in
JohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
,
Transvaal ProvinceTransvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
,
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Pienaar started his
professionalA professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
career at Ajax Cape Town, some 1400 kilometres (869.9 mi) away from his home in Johannesburg. He was brought to the attention of Ajax CT whilst playing for the School of Excellence and was asked to join Ajax Cape Town's youth academy.
Pienaar said "I was very fortunate to go to the School of Excellence 2000, to be able to polish the technique and the talent that God gave me and to learn how to use it in the way that God had wanted me to." "I was fortunate to work with the Dutch coach
Leo van VeenLeo van Veen is a retired football player from the Netherlands, who played for FC Utrecht, Los Angeles Aztecs, Ajax Amsterdam and RKC Waalwijk during his career. Later on he became a football manager. Van Veen played 555 games in the Eredivisie, scoring 174 goals.-References:* *...
, who helped me at Ajax Cape Town," "He appreciated the way I played but at the same time he changed my mentality. He taught me how to prepare for games, not just playing to please the crowd but also how to play for the team."
At Ajax Cape Town he won the
Rothman's CupThe Telkom Knockout is a football knockout competition which comprises the 16 teams in the South African Premier Soccer League.It was started in 1992, called the Coca-Cola Cup and was played until 1996, when it was replaced by the Rothmans Cup which was changed back to the Coca-Cola Cup in 2001...
beating Orlando Pirates 4–1 in the final in what was to be his final game for the club.
Ajax
Aged 18, he was brought over to the Netherlands in January 2001 but did not make his
EredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
début until 24 February 2002 – in a 1–0 victory over
NAC BredaNAC Breda , simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of...
. He became a pivotal member of the Ajax team that won the Dutch League in 2002 and 2004. Pienaar shone as one of Ajax's best players alongside stars such as
Zlatan IbrahimovicZlatan Ibrahimović is a Swedish footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Milan and the Swedish national team for which he is captain....
,
MaxwellMaxwell Scherrer Cabelino Andrade , commonly known as Maxwell, is a Brazilian footballer who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club FC Barcelona...
,
Cristian ChivuCristian Eugen Chivu is a Romanian footballer. He currently plays for Internazionale of the Italian Serie A. He usually plays as a left back but can play as a center back as well as in defensive midfield when needed....
, Mido,
Nigel de JongNigel de Jong is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team....
,
Rafael van der VaartRafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker...
,
Wesley SneijderWesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
and future Everton team-mate
John HeitingaJohn Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009. Heitinga previously represented...
.
Andy van der MeydeAndy van der Meijde, anglicised to van der Meyde , is a Dutch former footballer who played as a right winger.After making a name for himself at Ajax, he went on to represent Internazionale and Everton, his spell at the latter club being cut due to several problems, both on and off the pitch.A Dutch...
, who had a forgettable stint at
Goodison ParkGoodison Park is a football stadium located in Walton, Liverpool, England. The stadium has been home to Everton F.C. since its completion in 1892 and is one of the world's first purpose-built football grounds...
, was also in that squad.
Borussia Dortmund
In January 2006
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
club
Borussia DortmundBallspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
signed Pienaar on a three-year contract from Ajax. Seen as a replacement for Arsenal-bound
Tomáš RosickýTomáš Rosický is a Czech footballer who plays for Arsenal and captains the Czech national team. He has a brother named Jiří who is also a footballer...
, Pienaar's first year with
Borussia DortmundBallspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
saw him receive the number 10 shirt vacated by the
CzechThe Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
playmaker. Pienaar struggled at Dortmund and was never accepted by the players at the club.
Everton
Pienaar joined
EvertonEverton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
on loan for 2007–08 and later signed a three-year contract from Dortmund for a pre-agreed fee of £2 million after payment of an initial loan fee of £350,000 in April 2008. Pienaar made his debut for Everton in a 2–1 home victory over
Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Football Club is an English Premier League Association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, having been promoted from the Championship in 2005. Wigan's current spell in the Premier League is the only top flight run in the club's history.They have played at the DW...
on 11 August 2007, replacing
Leon OsmanLeon Osman is an English football player who plays for Everton in the Premier League. He has spent his whole career as an Everton player, though he has spent time on loan at Carlisle United and Derby County.-Biography:...
in the 73rd minute as a substitute. Pienaar scored his first Everton goal in a 2–0 home victory over
MiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
on 30 September.
Despite missing eleven games through injury, Pienaar was named Everton's Player of the Season for 2009–10.
Tottenham Hotspur
In January 2011, both
ChelseaChelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
had bids accepted to buy Pienaar from Everton before the South African joined Spurs for a fee of £3 million on a four-year contract. He made his Tottenham debut in a 1–1 draw away to . In August 2011, Pienaar suffered a groin injury, which ruled him out for six weeks.
International career
A former under-17 international, he made his international debut for
South African national sideThe South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
in a 2–0 win against
TurkeyThe Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
in 2002 and has since accumulated 46 caps and scored two goals. He participated at the
2002The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
and
2010 World CupThe 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
s.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 |
3 July 2004 |
Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
|
|
1–0 |
2–0 |
2006 FIFA World Cup Qual. Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Africa. 51 teams took part , competing for 5 World Cup places.The qualification was composed of two Rounds...
|
| 2 |
26 March 2005 |
Johannesburg Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
|
|
2–1 |
2–1 |
2006 FIFA World Cup Qual. Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for Africa. 51 teams took part , competing for 5 World Cup places.The qualification was composed of two Rounds...
|
Career statistics
| Club |
Season |
League |
Cup |
League Cup |
Continental |
Other |
Total |
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Ajax Cape Town |
1999–00 -Final table: 1. Mamelodi Sundowns 34 23 6 5 68-34 75 Champions 2. Orlando Pirates 34 18 10 6 72-36 64 3. Kaizer Chiefs 34 16 12 6 40-22 60 4. Ajax Cape Town 34 15 8 11 43-39 53...
|
13 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
– |
– |
13 |
5 |
| 2000–01 -Final table: 1. Orlando Pirates 34 16 13 5 60-34 61 Champions 2. Kaizer Chiefs 34 16 12 6 41-25 60 3. Mamelodi Sundowns 34 17 8 9 58-32 59 4. Jomo Cosmos 34 15 11 8 47-27 56...
|
11 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
– |
– |
11 |
1 |
| Total |
24 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |– | 24 | 6 |
| Ajax |
2001–02 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
– |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
1 |
| 2002–03 |
31 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
– |
12 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
45 |
7 |
| 2003–04 |
16 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
– |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
21 |
3 |
| 2004–05 |
24 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
– |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
31 |
5 |
| 2005–06 |
15 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
– |
9 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
26 |
2 |
| Total |
94 | 15 | 4 | 0 | Borussia DortmundBallspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...
| 2006–07 |
25 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
27 |
0 |
| Total |
25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
EvertonEverton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
(loan) |
2007–08 |
28 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
40 |
2 |
EvertonEverton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
|
2008–09 |
28 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
35 |
2 |
| 2009–10 |
30 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
38 |
7 |
| 2010–11 The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
|
18 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
1 |
| Total |
104 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 133 | 12 |
Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
|
2010–11 The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011...
|
8 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
| Total |
8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Career total |
255 | 30 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 47 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 326 | 51 |
Statistics accurate as of 09:35, 7 July 2011 (UTC)
Personal life
Pienaar is a Christian. He grew up with his mother Denise and two sisters and one brother in Westbury, a largely
colouredIn the South African, Namibian, Zambian, Botswana and Zimbabwean context, the term Coloured refers to an heterogenous ethnic group who possess ancestry from Europe, various Khoisan and Bantu tribes of Southern Africa, West Africa, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaya, India, Mozambique,...
townshipIn South Africa, the term township and location usually refers to the urban living areas that, from the late 19th century until the end of Apartheid, were reserved for non-whites . Townships were usually built on the periphery of towns and cities...
on the outskirts of
JohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
during the apartheid era. He was once beaten up in a neighbouring white Township of
Triomf and also lost a childhood friend, who was killed by a bullet, both incidents were because of the colour of his skin. Pienaar was also shot with
daisy gunsBB guns are a type of air gun designed to shoot projectiles named BBs after the birdshot pellet of approximately the same size. These projectiles are usually spherical but can also be pointed; those are usually used for bird hunting. Modern day BB guns usually have a smoothbore barrel, with a bore...
.
As a child, Pienaar watched TV while sitting on the floor at his home in Westbury, where he was not allowed to sit on the couch for his mother's fear of him being shot.
Pienaar's home was broken into while he was playing for Everton in Europe, Police were called to the mansion on Woolton Road, in the early hours of the morning.
Pienaar is commonly referred to by his nickname "Schillo" in South Africa, a childhood nickname given to him by friends after the exploits of
Totò SchillaciSalvatore Schillaci , commonly referred to by his nickname Totò is a former Italian football player. During his career, he played for Messina , Juventus , Internazionale and Júbilo Iwata...
during the 1990 World Cup.
Controversy
Steven Pienaar's ex-girlfriend Danielle Steeneveld attempted to sue Pienaar for ZAR10.8million in August 2009 for not marrying her. Steeneveld, the mother of Pienaar's daughter Skyla, claimed that Pienaar broke a promise to wed and ended their two-year relationship "without just cause", she also claimed that Pienaar took away her contraception so she would become pregnant and that her reputation has been tarnished as she is an unmarried mother and "emotionally traumatised". The case was later dismissed.
Of the claims, Pienaar said: "My faith is really strong and helps me in difficult times, like when my little girl Skyla’s mother started making up these stories about me after we broke up. If people wanted to believe them, fine. I kept quiet, because it was someone looking for attention, and I was not going to get drawn into her games."
Pienaar was charged with drunk-driving and failure to comply with a traffic sign in central Liverpool during February 2010.
Advertising
In the run up to the 2010 World Cup, Pienaar was involved in a high-profile
adidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
sportswear advertising campaign.
Club
Ajax Cape Town
- Rothman's Cup
The Telkom Knockout is a football knockout competition which comprises the 16 teams in the South African Premier Soccer League.It was started in 1992, called the Coca-Cola Cup and was played until 1996, when it was replaced by the Rothmans Cup which was changed back to the Coca-Cola Cup in 2001...
(1): 2000
Ajax Amsterdam
- Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
(2): 2001–02The Dutch Eredivisie in the 2001/2002 season was contested by 18 teams. Ajax won the championship.-League standings:1 Ajax alson won the KNVB Cup, thereby taking the double. They would participate in the Champions League, so finalists FC Utrecht could play in the UEFA Cup...
, 2003–04The 2003-2004 season of the Dutch Eredivisie began in August 2003 and ended in May 2004. The title was won by Ajax.- League standings :- Topscorers :- Relegation playoffs :- Match table :- References :* *...
- KNVB Cup
The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup...
(2): 2001–02, 2005–06The KNVB Cup 2005–06 started on August 2, 2005. The tournament was held for the 88th time. The final was held on May 7, 2006: Ajax beat PSV 2–1 and won the trophy for the sixteenth time.-Teams:* All 18 participants of the Eredivisie 2005-06...
- Johan Cruijff-schaal
The Johan Cruijff Schaal is a football trophy in the Netherlands named after legendary Dutch football player Johan Cruyff, also often referred to as the Dutch Super Cup. The winner is decided in one match only, played by the winner of the national football league and the winner of the national...
(2): 2002, 2005The match for the Johan Cruijff-schaal X was held on 5 August 2005 between Eredivisie 2004-05 champions and KNVB Cup 2004-05 winners PSV and Eredivisie runners-up Ajax. Ajax won the match 2–1.-Match details:...
Everton
- FA Cup Runners-Up
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
(1): 2008-09The 2008–09 FA Cup was the 128th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition; The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. A record 762 clubs were accepted for the competition; one club, South Normanton Athletic, folded before the fixtures were released, leaving 761...
Tottenham Hotspur
- Vodacom Challenge
The Vodacom Challenge is a association football pre-season tournament that features Vodacom-sponsored South African giants Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs plus from 2006 onwards an invited European club...
: 2011The Vodacom Challenge celebrated its 11th anniversary in 2011 with the English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur touring South Africa and playing against two local PSL clubs, Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs....
Individual
- SAFA Player of the Year
The South African Football Association Awards are awards given to football players and coaches of South African origin. The awards were formed in 2008.-Player of the year:-Young Player of the Year:-Women's Player of the Year:...
(1): 2009
- Everton Player of the Season (1): 2009-10
- Ajax CT Young Player of the Season (1): 2000
External links