In pictures: Edgar Davids, the greatest 'pitbull' in the history of football

Icon of the 90s and 2000s
Born in Suriname
Ajax
Full trophy cabinet
'The Pitbull'
Move to Italy
Off to Juventus
His famous goggles
Three Scudettos
Failed drug test
FC Barcelona
Inter Milan and Tottenham
Back to Ajax
Crystal Palace and Barnet
Dutch national team
Sent home by Hiddink
Goal againts FR Yugoslavia
74 caps, 6 goals
First steps in his second career
Netherlands U20
Telstar and Olhanense
Netherlands assistant manager
Legend
Icon of the 90s and 2000s

Edgar Davids was one of football's icons of the 90s and 2000s. Let's take a look back at his extraordinary career in pictures. All stats and career info sourced from Transfermarkt.

Born in Suriname

Davids was born in Suriname, but moved to the Netherlands when he was still very young.

Ajax

He took his first steps at local club ASV Schellingwoude, but soon joined Dutch giants Ajax. He made his debut for the Amsterdam club at the age of 18 and became a key player.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Full trophy cabinet

Davids was part of an outstanding Ajax team that included the likes of Marc Overmars, Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert, and won numerous trophies with the club, the undisputed highlight being the 1994/95 Champions League.

'The Pitbull'

Because of his aggressive style of play, Davids was nicknamed 'The Pitbull' by then Ajax manager Louis van Gaal (pictured), per FIFA.

Move to Italy

In 1996, Davids bid farewell to Ajax and joined Italian giants AC Milan on a free transfer. At the San Siro, the Dutchman was unlucky to break his leg in his first season, during which the Rossoneri disappointed by finishing 11th. In the first few months of the following season, he failed to establish himself as a regular starter.

Off to Juventus

In December 1997, Davids was recruited by Serie A rivals Juventus, the start of an exceptional partnership. The midfielder became a key player in the Turin team, alongside French playmaker Zinedine Zidane.

His famous goggles

It wasn't just his style of play that made Davids a standout player at the time, but also his glasses, which he started wearing in 1995 because he was suffering from glaucoma.

Three Scudettos

Davids helped Juventus win three Scudettos and a Supercoppa Italiana in a six-year spell that ended in January 2004.

Failed drug test

However, his time at Juventus was marked by a failed doping test for nandrolone in 2001, which earned him a ban of several months, according to Marca.

FC Barcelona

He then moved to FC Barcelona on a loan spell and helped the Blaugrana to a second-place finish in La Liga after a mediocre start to the 2003/04 season.

Inter Milan and Tottenham

In July 2004, Davids signed for another Italian club, Inter Milan. Just one season later, he embarked on his first Premier League adventure with Tottenham Hotspur, where he became a fan's favourite.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Back to Ajax

After a year and a half in London, Davids thought it was time to return home and signed for Ajax, the club where it all began for the midfielder. In his first season, he claimed the Dutch Cup, but soon after tragedy struck when he broke his leg in a pre-season friendly.

Crystal Palace and Barnet

His contract at Ajax expired in the summer of 2008, after which Davids was without a club for two years until he signed for Crystal Palace, where he stayed for just a few months. After another period without a club, he signed for low-tier side Barnet, where he was player-manager until he retired early 2014.

 

Dutch national team

For many years, Davids was also an integral part of the Dutch national team, which he represented at several major tournaments.

Sent home by Hiddink

However, UEFA Euro 1996 marked a low point in Davids' international career when he was sent home by then-manager Guus Hiddink (pictured), who felt the player had disrespected him in the press.

Goal againts FR Yugoslavia

The 1998 FIFA World Cup, on the other hand, was a highlight for Davids. He scored the winning goal against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that sent the Netherlands through to the quarter-finals against Argentina.

74 caps, 6 goals

In total, Davids won 74 caps for the Netherlands, scoring 6 goals.

First steps in his second career

After his active playing career, he tried his hand at other activities. Before becoming a player-manager at Barnet, he joined Ajax as a member of the supervisory board.

Netherlands U20

In 2018, he moved on to a role as the Netherlands U20 manager.

Telstar and Olhanense

He then held coaching positions at Dutch side Telstar (assistant) and Portuguese side Olhanense (head coach).

Netherlands assistant manager

Davids's coaching career never really seemed to take off, but in May 2022 he was appointed assistant manager of the national football team under Louis van Gaal. Together, they led the Netherlands to the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where they lost to Argentina after an epic battle.

Legend

Davids is not yet a star as a manager, but he was as a player, always giving his all to help his club win, which earned him legendary status in the football world.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

More for you