Meet Dutch tactician Gertjan Verbeek after he was unveiled as Adelaide United’s new coach for the next two seasons.
Profile
Name: Gertjan Verbeek
Age: 56
Playing career:
- Made over 250 appearances for SC Heerenveen across the Eerste Divisie and Eredivisie between 1984 and 1994, scoring 38 goals.
- Spent the 1986/87 season on loan at Heracles Almelo.
Coaching career:
- Served as an assistant to his former boss Foppe de Haan for the next seven years at Heerenveen following his retirement.
- In 2001 he secured his first role as head coach, joining second tier side Heracles.
- Following three seasons he returned to Heerenveen and incidentally replaced his former mentor in de Haan.
- Between 2004 and 2008 with Heerenveen he secured three fifth-place finishes, playing an attacking brand of football in the top-flight.
- Ahead of the 2007/08 campaign, he moved to Dutch giants Feyenoord but left in early 2009.
- For the 2009/10 he returned to Heracles and after a solid Eredivisie season signed with AZ Alkmaar.
- At AZ he guided the team to successive fourth place finishes in 2010/11 and 2011/12 and clinched the KNVB Cup in May 2013 after beating PSV Eindhoven 2-1 in the Final.
- Appointed head coach of Bundesliga outfit 1. FC Nürnberg in October 2013 before leaving in April 2014.
- Managed VfL Bochum in the German second division from December 2014 until July 2017.
- His most recent coaching role was a brief spell back in his homeland with FC Twente.
