Glenn Helder

Infobox Football biography
playername = Glenn Helder
fullname = Glenn Helder
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1968|10|28
cityofbirth = Leiden
countryofbirth = Netherlands
position = Winger, Outside Left
youthyears =
youthclubs = Ajax Amsterdam
years = 1989–1993 1993–1995 1995–1997 1996 1997–1998 1998 1998–1999 1999–2000 2000–2002 2002–2003
clubs = Sparta Rotterdam Vitesse Arnhem Arsenal → Benfica (loan) NAC Breda Dalian Wanda NAC Breda MTK Hungária FC RBC Roosendaal TOP Oss
caps(goals) = 93 0(9) 52 (12) 39 0(1) 11 0(1) 03 0(0) 0? 0(?) 03 0(0) 09 0(1) 00 0(0) 10 0(1)
nationalyears = 1995
nationalteam = Netherlands
nationalcaps(goals) = 04 0(0)

Glenn Helder (born 28 October 1968 in Leiden) is a former Dutch footballer. He was a product of Ajax Amsterdam's youth system, though to get first team football he moved to Sparta Rotterdam in 1989 where he played 93 games, scoring nine goals. In 1993 he moved to Vitesse Arnhem where he played 52 games, scoring 12 goals and attracting the interest of English club Arsenal.

Career

Helder joined Arsenal on 14 February 1995 and made his debut in a 1–0 home win against Nottingham Forest on 21 February. He was the final signing made by George Graham, who left a week after his arrival. Helder was with Arsenal until October 1997, and his time there was comparatively disappointing -- he made 27 league appearances plus 12 as a substitute, scoring one goal (which came in a 3–2 win over Middlesbrough FC). In late 1996, Arsenal sent him on loan to Benfica where he sustained a serious injury. Returning to the club, he found that he had been replaced by Marc Overmars and was unable to break back into the first team.

After leaving Arsenal, Helder's career was somewhat eclectic; he moved to NAC Breda in his native Netherlands; after a short spell there he went to play in China for Dalian Wanda, but returned to Breda quite soon afterwards. He did not stay long in his second spell at Breda before moving on to MTK Hungária FC in Hungary. He soon returned home to have a trial with FC Dordrecht, who did not give him a contract, and he eventually signed for RBC Roosendaal, and ended his career at TOP Oss. He also earned four caps for the Netherlands national football team.

In an interview in 1999 he stated that during his stay at NAC he tried to commit suicide because of problems resulting from compulsive gambling. [ [http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,54172,00.html Helder gambled with his life | Football | guardian.co.uk ] ] However, he continues to gamble, and is sometimes seen playing poker on the British Five television station, representing the Netherlands. [ [http://pokerdb.thehendonmob.com/player.php?a=r&n=62411 Glenn Helder: Hendon Mob Poker Database ] ] He also represents Arsenal in Masters Football tournaments.

In July 2006, Helder made a surprise appearance for Arsenal in Dennis Bergkamp's final ever game, a testimonial against Ajax.

Personal life

Helder was imprisoned in September 2007, on account of threatening his ex-girlfriend and physically abusing her current partner. In March 2008, Helder accepted to be treated at [http://www.dewaag-utrecht.nl/ De Waag] , an institute for ambulant forensic psychiatry in Haarlem, in order to convince his judge that chances of relapse need not be feared. The judge still has to decide if Helder will need to enter treatment. Earlier psychological investigation concluded that Helder suffers from "a Narcissistic personality disorder with hints of borderline". Helder himself disagrees with this conclusion. [ [http://www.nhd.nl/article2419482.ece Noordhollands Dagblad ] ] [ [http://www.nhd.nl/nieuws/stadstreek/alkmaar/article3291836.ece Inrichting wil ex-prof Glenn Helder opnemen - Alkmaar e.o. - Noordhollands Dagblad ] ]

References