Winston Bogarde

Winston Lloyd Bogarde (born 22 October 1970) is a Dutch retired professional footballer. A player of immense physical strength, he played mostly as a central defender, although he could occasionally appear on the left, and was best known for his spells at Ajax, Barcelona and Chelsea.

With the latter he garnered worldwide attention as, although he received almost no playing time (no Premier League appearances whatsoever in his last three seasons combined), he preferred to see out his lucrative contract. Bogarde represented the Dutch national team in one World Cup and one European Championship.

Club career

Early years / Ajax

Born in Rotterdam, Bogarde started his career at Schiedamse Voetbal Vereniging in the second division, as a winger, then switched to the Eredivisie in the 1991 summer, playing with hometown club Sparta (he previously had a short loan spell with neighbouring SBV Excelsior in the second level) and scoring a career-best 11 goals in the 1993–94 season as it qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Bogarde signed for country giants AFC Ajax in 1994. After a slow first year – he did not leave the bench in the final of the team's victorious campaign in the UEFA Champions League – he became a defensive stalwart.

Milan / Barcelona

A.C. Milan signed Bogarde from Ajax for 1997–98, but he only made three Serie A appearances throughout his short stay. In January 1998 he moved to compatriot Louis van Gaal's FC Barcelona, appearing in 19 matches in the second part of the campaign as Barça won La Liga and the Copa del Rey.

As the Dutch influence at the Camp Nou was reducing so was Bogarde's, who only managed one league contest in his first full season, partly due to injuries, although he bounced back for a second respectable one (21 matches, two goals).

Chelsea

Bogarde signed for Chelsea in 2000–01, after following the advice of compatriot Mario Melchiot to join him at the Premier League side. He was signed when Gianluca Vialli was manager, although the latter had no idea the transfer was happening, it arguably being conducted by director of football Colin Hutchinson – Emerson Thome, also a centre-back, was shipped off to Sunderland. Only weeks after signing his contract, newly appointed manager Claudio Ranieri wanted the player to leave.

According to Bogarde, it would be next to impossible to find a team that would offer him a contract comparable to the one he had at Chelsea: he was astounded at the salary the club had agreed on, as his value depreciated severely due to lack of first-team action, and decided to stay and honour his contract to the letter and appear for training every day, despite being only rarely selected to play. Of his contract he said, "Why should I throw fifteen million Euro away when it is already mine? At the moment I signed it was in fact my money, my contract." In the end, he only appeared eleven times during his four-year contract, reportedly earning £40,000 a week during this period.

After playing as a substitute against Ipswich Town on Boxing Day in 2000, Bogarde only made one more appearance for Chelsea's main squad before his contract expired in July 2004; it was also made from the bench, against Gillingham for that season's League Cup on 6 November 2002.

During his period at Chelsea, the club attempted to sell Bogarde due to his large salary, and demoted him to the reserve and youth teams in an effort to force him to leave. In response to press criticism, he responded: 'This world is about money, so when you are offered those millions you take them. Few people will ever earn so many. I am one of the few fortunates who do. I may be one of the worst buys in the history of the Premiership but I don't care.'

On 8 November 2005 Bogarde announced his retirement from professional football, having failed to reach an agreement with a club since leaving Chelsea.

International career

Courtesy of steady performances at Ajax, Bogarde was summoned to UEFA Euro 1996 by Netherlands manager Guus Hiddink, who also included him in the squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. A starter in the first competition, he only backed-up Arthur Numan in the second.

Bogarde had the chance to feature in his first start at a World Cup match against Brazil in the semifinals, after starter Numan was suspended in the previous encounter against Argentina, but he sustained a serious shin injury during training and was hospitalised, being replaced by Philip Cocu.

Honours

• UEFA Champions League: 1994–95
• Intercontinental Cup: 1995
• UEFA Super Cup: 1995
• Eredivisie: 1994–95, 1995–96
• Johan Cruijff Shield: 1994, 1995

• UEFA Super Cup: 1997
• La Liga: 1997–98, 1998–99
• Copa del Rey: 1997–98