Maceo Rigters

Infobox Football biography
playername = Maceo Rigters


fullname = Maceo Rigters
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1984|1|22
cityofbirth = Amsterdam
countryofbirth = Netherlands
height = 5 ft 10 in (1.79 m)
position = Striker
currentclub = Barnsley
(on loan from Blackburn Rovers)
clubnumber = 29
youthyears = ?–2003
youthclubs = Ajax
years = 2003–2004
2004–2005
2005–2007
2007–
2008
2008–
clubs = Heerenveen
Dordrecht
NAC Breda
Blackburn Rovers
→ Norwich City (loan)
→ Barnsley (loan)
caps(goals) = 02 (0)
17 (8)
61 (5)
02 (0)
02 (0)
01 (0)
nationalyears = 2005–2007
nationalteam = Netherlands U-21
nationalcaps(goals) = 09 (6)
pcupdate = 12:31, 12 August 2008 (UTC)
ntupdate = 17:52, 3 July 2007 (UTC)

Maceo Rigters (born 22 January 1984 in Amsterdam, Netherlands) is a Dutch footballer, currently playing for Barnsley on loan from Blackburn Rovers in England. He has also played for the Netherlands Under-21 team. He plays as a striker.

Club career

C Heerenveen, FC Dordrecht & NAC Breda

Rigters started his football career at Eredivisie club, SC Heerenveen where he made his senior debut during the 2002-03 season. He had a short spell at Eerste Divisie club FC Dordrecht in the 2004-05 season. On 1 January, 2005 he signed a four-and-half-year contract with Eredivisie club NAC Breda where he scored five goals in 61 appearances.cite news
title = Netherlands U-21 profile - Maceo Rigters
publisher = UEFA
date = 2007
url = http://www.uefa.com/competitions/under21/players/player=70149/
accessdate = 2008-06-06 ] cite news
title = Deportivo return for 'Toro'
publisher = UEFA
date = 2005-02-01
url = http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/kind=2/newsid=276452.html
accessdate = 2008-06-06 ]

Blackburn Rovers

Rigters was signed by Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee on 2 July 2007, with the striker signing a four year contract with the Lancashire club.cite news
title = Dutch hero Rigters joins Blackburn
publisher = UEFA
date = 2007-07-02
url = http://www.uefa.com/competitions/intertotocup/news/kind=1/newsid=557439.html
accessdate = 2008-06-06 ] cite news
title=Blackburn seal Rigters transfer
url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/6260984.stm
publisher=BBC Sport
date=2007-07-02
accessdate=2007-07-02 ] He made his first official appearance or Blackburn in a UEFA Intertoto Cup match against Lithuanian club, FK Vėtra on 22 July, 2007 as a second half substitute replacing Benni McCarthy in the 65th minute. His first start came on 30 August against Finnish club, MyPa, in a UEFA Cup first round match, and he made his Premier League debut on 29 September.

Rigters played only one more league game for the club that season on 11 February, 2008, and after struggling to make an impact at the club, he joined Championship club Norwich City 19 March on loan until the end of the 2007-08 season. [cite news |title=Blackburn's Rigters joins Norwich|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/n/norwich/7305096.stm|publisher=BBC Sport |date=2008-03-19 |accessdate=2008-03-19 ] He made his first appearance for Norwich as a 78th minute substitute in a 5–1 win over Colchester United. However, in only his second substitute appearance for the club on 29 March, during a home defeat to Bristol City, Rigters lasted just fifteen minutes as he sustained a torn hamstring, and he subsequently returned to Blackburn for treatment.

On 8 August he joined Barnsley on loan for the 2008-2009 English football Championship league season.

cite news
title= Rigters joins Barnsley on loan
publisher=Sky Sports
date=2008-08-08
url=http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11676_3949132,00.html
accessdate=2008-08-08 ]

International career

Rigters scored on his debut for the Netherlands national under-21 team on 5 February, 2008 when he came on as a second half substitute in a 3–0 win over Russia Under-21s, scoring the third Dutch goal.cite news
last = Scholten
first = Berend
title = Rigters relishing surprise role
publisher = UEFA
date = 2007-06-14
url = http://www.uefa.com/competitions/under21/news/kind=4/newsid=551060.html
accessdate = 2008-06-06 ] On 23 March he scored as the Dutch Under-21s drew 1–1 with Czech Republic Under-21s.cite news
title = Czechs hold the Jong Oranje
publisher = UEFA
date = 2007-03-23
url = http://www.uefa.com/competitions/under21/news/kind=1/newsid=519499.html
accessdate = 2008-06-06 ]

He was called up by under-21 team coach Foppe de Haan as a last minute addition to the squad for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship on the eve of the tournament which was held in the Netherlands. Rigters played in all three group stage matches, a 1–0 win against Israel Under 21s and a 2–1 win over Portugal Under-21s to secure a semi-final spot and therefore qualify for the 2008 Summer Olympics. He won the penalty from which Ryan Babel scored the first Dutch goal and he scored the second Dutch goal of the match and was named Man of the match by UEFA. In the last group match against Belgium Under-21s, Rigters scored in a 2–2 draw.cite news
last = Scholten
first = Berend
title = De Haan's sweet symphony
publisher = UEFA
date = 2007-06-17
url = http://www.uefa.com/competitions/under21/news/kind=1/newsid=552170.html
accessdate = 2008-06-06 ] In the semi-finals against England Under-21s, Rigters scored a 90th minute equaliser with a bicycle kick to take the match to extra time and eventually a penalty shoot-out, in which Rigters also scored as well, and the Dutch team won the shoot-out 13–12. He was also voted Man of the match for the second time.cite news
last = Scholten
first = Berend
title = Gym lessons help Rigters reign
publisher = UEFA
date = 2007-06-21
url = http://www.uefa.com/competitions/under21/news/kind=4/newsid=554033.html
accessdate = 2008-06-06 ]

The Dutch went on to retain their 2006 title by beating Serbia Under-21s 4–1 in the final. Rigters scored the third goal, his fourth of the tournament, which put him ahead of England's Leroy Lita and give him the Golden Boot as top scorer.cite news
last = Harrold
first = Michael
title = Rigters relishes 'fantastic' feat
publisher = UEFA
date = 2007-06-23
url = http://www.uefa.com/competitions/under21/news/kind=4/newsid=555091.html
accessdate = 2008-06-06 ] After the tournament he was named in the UEFA Team of the tournament.cite news
last = Haslam
first = Andrew
title = uefa.com's U21 dream team
publisher = UEFA
date = 2007-06-29
url = http://www.uefa.com/magazine/news/kind=16384/newsid=555816.html
accessdate = 2008-06-06 ]

References

External links

* [http://www.maceorigters.nl Maceo Rigters' official site]
*soccerbase|id=46581|name=Maceo Rigters
* [http://www.rovers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Squad/SquadProfilesDetail/0,,10303~38436,00.html Profile] at [http://www.rovers.premiumtv.co.uk/page/Home/0,,10303,00.html Blackburn Rovers official website]