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Top five Dutch striker flops in the Premier League

Sports Mole picks out five Dutch strikers who have struggled to score goals in the Premier League.

Reports have suggested that Newcastle United are closing in on the signing of Luuk de Jong from Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach.

The Dutch international earned himself the reputation of a clinical goalscorer in his homeland with FC Twente, but he has since struggled to replicate that form in Germany.

There are, of course, strikers from the Netherlands who have flourished in the Premier League. However, for every Ruud van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Dennis Bergkamp, there is a centre-forward from Holland who has failed to produce the goods in England.

Below, Sports Mole has picked out five in particular who never made the grade.

1. Patrick Kluivert, Newcastle United
When Kluivert arrived on Tyneside in 2004, he did so having won the Dutch league title and the Champions League with Ajax, as well as having spearheaded Barcelona's attack for a number of years. This was not the same striker, though. He may have scored a couple of crucial goals, particularly in the FA Cup, but there were concerns over his fitness and weight from day one. After a disappointing season for the Magpies, it was decided that Kluivert should be released and he returned for another stint in Spain with Valencia.

Patrick Kluivert in action for Newcastle United on September 09, 2004.© Getty Images

2. Marco Boogers, West Ham United
Harry Redknapp parted with £1m to take Boogers from Sparta Rotterdam to Upton Park in 1995, despite reports that he had never seen the striker in action. In what was just his second appearance for the Hammers, Boogers was red-carded for a poorly timed challenge on Manchester United defender Gary Neville. Soon after, it was claimed that the frontman disappeared and was not found until weeks later when he was living in a caravan back in his native Netherlands, although that rumour has been disputed. As it was, he eventually left East London for RKC Waalwijk a year after his arrival.

3. Maceo Rigters, Blackburn Rovers
Having seen him feature for the Dutch Under-21 side at the 2007 European Championships, Blackburn tempted Rigters to Ewood Park from NAC Breda with a four-year contract. He saw out that deal with Rovers, but made just eight appearances in all competitions for the club. Loan spells with Norwich City and Barnsley failed to turn into permanent transfers, before he was eventually released in 2011. That was followed by a spell in Australia's A-League with Gold Coast United.

Maceo Rigters in action for Blackburn Rovers on July 28, 2007.© Getty Images

4. Erik Meijer, Liverpool
When Meijer signed for the Reds in 1999 from Bayer Leverkusen, he had already played for eight different clubs in the Netherlands and Germany. His season and a half at Anfield produced just two goals, both of which were scored against Hull City in the League Cup. Ultimately, Meijer struggled to make an impact, with boss Gerard Houllier often preferring Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler in attack. So, when Emile Heskey was recruited in March 2000, the writing was on the wall. Following a loan spell with Preston North End, he joined Hamburg.

5. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Hull City
Goals were not hard to come by for Vennegoor of Hesselink with PSV Eindhoven and Celtic, but he couldn't reproduce that clinical touch with Hull. He signed on at the KC Stadium on a one-year deal in 2009, but unsurprisingly his three goals from 33 outings in all competitions were not enough to earn him extended terms. It seemed that the Dutchman struggled to adapt to the pace of the English game. He went on to sign for Rapid Vienna on a free transfer in 2010.

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