Robin van der Laan

Robin van der Laan

Personal information
Full name	Robertus Petrus van der Laan
Date of birth	(1968-09-05) 5 September 1968
Place of birth	Schiedam, South Holland, Netherlands
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1987–1990	SVV	59	(13)
1990–1991	FC Wageningen	27	(3)
1991–1995	Port Vale	176	(24)
1995–1998	Derby County	65	(8)
1996	→ Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan)	7	(0)
1998–2001	Barnsley	65	(5)
Total		401	(45)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Robin van der Laan (born Robertus Petrus van der Laan on 5 September 1968) is a Dutch former footballer who spent most of his senior career in English football. He now works as the director of his own football school in Canada, also working as a senior coach for Manchester United Soccer Schools.

He began his playing career in his native the Netherlands with Schiedamse Voetbal Vereniging in 1987, helping them to top the Eerste Divisie in 1989–90, before moving on to Wageningen in 1990. In 1991 he moved to England to play for Port Vale, where after four seasons as one of the club's key players he was sold on to Derby County. He won the Football League Trophy with Vale in 1993, and won promotion out of the Second Division in 1993–94. He also won promotion out of the First Division with Derby in 1995–96. In 1998 he transferred to Barnsley, where he saw out his professional playing career until his retirement due to injury in 2001. He made a total of 315 appearances in a ten-year career in the Football League.

Playing career

Van der Laan started his career at Eerste Divisie side Schiedamse Voetbal Vereniging in 1987. The club finished in mid-table in 1987–88 and 1988–89, before winning promotion to the Eredivisie as 1989–90 Eerste Divisie champions. However he remained in the Dutch second tier in 1990–91, signing with Wageningen. In four years in the Netherlands he played 59 games for SVV and 27 games for Wageningen.

He was signed by English Second Division side Port Vale in February 1991 for a fee of £80,000 after impressing on trial. Initially signed as a striker, manager John Rudge converted him into a midfielder. Instantly recognisable for his mane of long blonde hair, Van der Laan soon became a popular figure with the Vale fans, his bustling style and midfield engine enabled him to settle into the English game very quickly, as he hit four goals in eighteen games in 1990–91.

He made 49 appearances in 1991–92, scoring six goals, including a strike in front of the Kop in a 2–2 League Cup draw with Liverpool. Despite his contribution, Vale were relegated, though due to the creation of the Premier League, the Third Division became the Second Division. He made 53 appearances in 1992–93, scoring ten goals, helping the "Valiants" to both the League Trophy Final and the play-off Final. Vale beat Stockport County 2–1 in the cup final at Wembley, but lost 3–0 to West Bromwich Albion in the play-off final.

Vale went on to win promotion into the First Division in 1993–94, following a second-place finish. He was again a key player at Vale Park in 1994–95, as the club retained their second tier status. However his good looks and popularity with the Vale fans saw him targeted by the more thuggish element of rivals Stoke City and he was punched in the face whilst inside a pizza and kebab house in Newcastle-under-Lyme on 18 June 1995.

In the summer of 1995, Van der Laan was sold to Derby County for a fee of £475,000 plus Lee Mills. He was made captain by manager Jim Smith and was an influential member of the team. He scored the goal which sealed promotion to the Premier League in 1996 – this made him a permanent fan favourite. He made 21 appearances for the "Rams" in 1996–97, and also spent October and November on loan at First Division Wolverhampton Wanderers, playing seven games. Injury limited him to thirteen appearances in 1997–98, his final season at Pride Park.

Van der Laan signed for Barnsley in summer 1998 for a fee of £325,000. He played twenty games for the First Division club in 1998–99, scoring twice. He made 37 appearances in 1999–2000, as the "Tykes" reached the play-offs, only to lose 4–2 to Ipswich Town in the final. He played 22 games in 2000–01, before a recurring knee injury he picked up in December 2000 forced him to retire from professional football in March 2001, at the age of 32. He later played for Newcastle Town, after coming out of retirement in September 2003.

Style of play

Van der Laan was an excellent set-piece taker.

Post-retirement

Van der Laan worked as the Head International Coach for Manchester United Soccer Schools. He set up The Robin van der Laan Soccer School and Academy in Canada. He was appointed assistant manager at Newcastle Town in May 2014. He was taken ill whilst coaching for Manchester United in Saudi Arabia in May 2016 and underwent heart surgery.

Statistics

• Sourced from Robin van der Laan profile at the English National Football Archive (subscription required)

Club	Season	Division	League		FA Cup		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Port Vale	1990–91	Second Division	18	4	0	0	0	0	18	4
	1991–92	Second Division	43	5	1	0	5	1	49	6
	1992–93	Second Division	38	6	2	1	10	1	50	8
	1993–94	Second Division	33	4	5	0	5	0	43	4
	1994–95	First Division	44	5	2	0	4	0	50	5
	Total		176	24	10	1	24	2	210	27
Wolverhampton Wanderers (loan)	1996–97	First Division	7	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
Derby County	1995–96	First Division	39	6	1	0	3	0	43	6
	1996–97	Premier League	16	2	3	3	2	0	21	5
	1997–98	Premier League	10	0	0	0	3	0	13	0
	Total		65	8	4	3	8	0	77	11
Barnsley	1998–99	First Division	17	1	1	0	2	1	20	2
	1999–2000	First Division	32	3	0	0	5	2	37	5
	2000–01	First Division	18	1	0	0	5	1	23	2
	Total		67	5	1	0	12	4	80	9
Career Total			315	37	15	4	44	6	374	47

Honours

with Schiedamse Voetbal Vereniging

• Eerste Divisie champion: 1989–90

with Port Vale

• TNT Tournament winner: 1992
• Football League Trophy winner: 1993
• Football League Second Division runner-up: 1993–94

with Derby County

• Football League First Division runner-up: 1995–96

External links

• Robin van der Laan career statistics at Soccerbase
• The RVDL Soccer School and Academy Canada