Arjen Robben

Arjen Robben (born 23 January 1984) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a winger.

Robben was known for his dribbling skills, speed, ball control and long-range shots.

He is regarded as one of the best wingers of his generation.

Groningen placed Robben in their first team for the 1999–2000 season.

He scored three goals in league play.

Robben first came to prominence with Groningen, for whom he was player of the year for the 2000–01 Eredivisie season.

Two years later he signed for PSV, where he became the Netherlands' Young Player of the Year and won an Eredivisie title.

Manager Jan van Dijk added the winger to the first team before Groningen's November 2000 away game against Twente, but he did not play until 3 December 2000 against RKC Waalwijk as a substitute for the injured Leonardo dos Santos in the 79th minute.

During the winter, Robben managed to play himself into the starting lineup.

In 18 starts for Groningen over the 2000–01 season, he scored two goals.

Robben was named player of the year for his first season with the club, and with teammate Jordi Hoogstrate, he demonstrated the strength of the Groningen youth academy.

Robben stayed with Groningen and improved steadily during the 2001–02 season, playing in 28 matches and scoring six goals.

Robben transferred to PSV for €3.9 million before the 2002–03 season.

During his first season for PSV, the 2002–03 season, Robben played 33 matches and scored 12 goals.

He was named "PSV co-player of the year" along with striker Mateja Kežman, with whom he formed an attacking partnership still fondly referred to by PSV fans as "Batman and Robben".

The following season Robben's signature was pursued by leading clubs, and after protracted transfer negotiations, he joined Chelsea in 2004.

Robben's Chelsea debut was delayed through injury, but upon returning to fitness, he helped Chelsea bring home two consecutive Premier League titles, and was the Premier League Player of the Month in November 2004.

After a third season in England which was punctuated by injury, Robben signed for Real Madrid in a transfer worth €35 million.

He also appeared at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championships, and the 2006 and 2014 FIFA World Cups.

In the latter, he won the Bronze Ball and was named to the All-Star Team.

Robben was born in Bedum, in the northeastern Netherlands.

He took to football from an early age, becoming an adherent of the Coerver Method.

Robben's skill in ball control and technical footwork made him a valuable player, and he was quickly signed by regional club FC Groningen.

Here, he developed his distinctive style of cutting inside from the right onto his left foot to score some quite spectacular goals.

Robben did not make his competitive debut for Chelsea until 23 October 2004 against Blackburn Rovers, as he was injured in a pre-season friendly match against Roma, breaking a metatarsal bone in his right foot in a challenge from Olivier Dacourt.

During this time, he told club doctors that he had noticed an unfamiliar growth on one of his testicles.

In August 2009, Robben transferred to Bayern Munich for a fee of around €25 million.

In his first season in Munich, Bayern won the league title, Robben's fifth league title in eight years.

Robben started in the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final, which the Netherlands lost to Spain.

Robben scored the winning goal in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final, being named to the Squad of the Season.

In 2014, he was named to the FIFPro World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year, and fourth place in the Ballon d'Or.

In Germany, he won 20 trophies, including eight Bundesliga titles and five DFB Pokals.

During his long tenure at Bayern, Robben was also known for his fruitful partnership with fellow winger Franck Ribéry – together they were affectionately referred to by the nickname Robbery.

He helped lead PSV to their 17th Dutch title, and won the Talented Player of the Year award.

After this good start, PSV could not keep up with rival Ajax and were forced into a fight for second place in the Eredivisie.

Robben travelled to London and met with Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson's offer came in much too low for PSV's and Robben's liking; PSV chairman Harry van Raaij told Manchester United the most that their €7 million offer would buy them was a shirt with Robben's autograph.

Almost immediately, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich offered €18 million (£12.1 million), and PSV accepted.

The rest of his season with PSV was disappointing: he injured his hamstring twice and missed several games.

By the end of the season, Robben scored five times in 23 Eredivisie matches.