Mitchell van der Gaag

Mitchell van der Gaag

Personal information
Full name	Mitchell van der Gaag
Date of birth	October 22, 1971 (1971-10-22) (age 40)
Place of birth	Zutphen, Netherlands
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Youth career
	SC Brummen
	De Graafschap
1986–1988	PSV
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1988–1994	PSV	53	(4)
1989–1990	→ NEC (loan)	31	(0)
1990–1992	→ Sparta Rotterdam (loan)	59	(2)
1995–1997	Motherwell	67	(4)
1997–2001	Utrecht	95	(10)
2001–2006	Marítimo	150	(14)
2006–2007	Al-Nassr	27	(3)
National team
1990–1991	Netherlands U21	4	(0)
Teams managed
2008–2009	Marítimo B
2009–2010	Marítimo
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Mitchell van der Gaag (born 22 October 1971 in Zutphen, Gelderland) is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a central defender, and a current manager.

Football career

After graduating from PSV Eindhoven's youth ranks, van der Gaag played three seasons on loan, to NEC Nijmegen and Sparta Rotterdam, returning to Eindhoven for a further three years, never being an important first team figure, however.

In January 1995, he moved to Motherwell, and subsequently returned to the Dutch first division with FC Utrecht. In 2001–02, van der Gaag joined Portugal's Club Sport Marítimo, being one of the Madeira side's most influential players, as it consolidated in the top flight. He scored six league goals in his third season, helping Marítimo finish sixth and qualify for the UEFA Cup.

Van der Gaag retired from football after 2006–07, having spent one season with Al-Nassr FC, in Saudi Arabia. In July 2008, he returned to Marítimo as a coach, taking the reins of its B team.

In late September 2009, after Carlos Carvalhal's dismissal following a string of bad results, van der Gaag was promoted to the first team. After helping the Madeirans finish fifth – a place conquered in the last round, with a 2–1 away win against Vitória de Guimarães, who ranked sixth – and qualify for the UEFA Europa League, his link was renewed for a further year.

On 14 September 2010, after collecting only one point in the league's first four matches and being ousted by FC Bate Borisov in the Europa League, van der Gaag was sacked by Marítimo.

External links

• Beijen profile (Dutch)
• Stats and profile at Zerozero
• Stats at ForaDeJogo (Portuguese)
• Voetbal International profile (Dutch)

Persondata
Name	Gaag, Mitchell Van Der
Alternative names
Short description	Football player/manager
Date of birth	22 October 1971
Place of birth	Zutphen, Netherlands
Date of death
Place of death