Danny Hesp

Danny Petrus Hesp (born 19 October 1969) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defender.

Danny Hesp
Personal information
Full name Danny Petrus Hesp
Date of birth (1969-10-19) 19 October 1969
Place of birth Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1990 Ajax 9 (0)
1990–1992 Heerenveen 38 (1)
1992–1995 TOP Oss 92 (10)
1995–1996 Roda 30 (3)
1996–1997 AZ 39 (3)
1997–2003 NEC 167 (19)
2003–2005 RBC 62 (3)
Total 437 (39)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Football career

Born in Amsterdam, Hesp started at local Ajax, but only appeared in nine Eredivisie games in three seasons combined, all in his first. A very promising player, he broke his leg after a sliding tackle in 1988 and never fully recovered to reach his full potential.[1][2][3]

Released in 1990, Hesp resumed his career with Heerenveen, going to play until 2005 with several clubs in the top level (Roda, AZ, NEC and RBC) and also spending three seasons – two complete, two halves – with second division's Top Oss.[1][4]

Life after football

In 2005, Hesp became president of the Vereniging van Contractspelers (VVCS),[5] the Dutch union for professional soccer players,[6][7] and in 2013 announced he would function as a contact for gay soccer players, to assist them in their coming-out;[8] a 2014 poll by the VVCS and the John Blankenstein Foundation indicated that soccer's culture of machismo was an important cause of homophobia in the sport.[9][10]

Personal life

Hesp's older brother, Ruud, was also a professional footballer. A goalkeeper, he was best known for his three-year stint with Spain's Barcelona; the pair played together in the 1995–96 campaign, at Roda.[1][4]

References
  1. "Danny Petrus Hesp (1969)" (in Dutch). Kent u deze nog?. 9 December 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  2. "Voetbal doodschoppen top-10" [Soccer death kicks top 10]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 25 February 2008. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  3. Onkenhout, Paul (28 August 1999). "Van Gentile tot Laseroms, oftewel: de doodschop" [From Laseroms to Gentile, or the death kick]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  4. "Waarom Danny Hesp de Vakbeweging gaat reanimeren" [Why Danny Hesp is going to reanimate the Vakwebeging] (in Dutch). Voetblah. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  5. "Danny Hesp nieuwe voorzitter VVCS" [Danny Hesp new president of VVCS] (in Dutch). Voetbal Zone. 17 May 2005. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  6. "Fewer foreign players at Dutch football clubs". Dutch News. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  7. "Hesp hoopt dat juiste feiten boven komen" [Hesp hopes the correct facts will become public]. Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 17 January 2015. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  8. "Danny Hesp vertrouwenspersoon voetbalhomo's" [Danny Hesp confidential contact for gay soccer players]. Nieuws. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  9. "'Machocultuur voetbal houdt homo in de kast'" [Culture of machismo in soccer keeps gays closeted]. Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 4 November 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  10. Kreft, Dietmar (12 November 2014). "Darum ist Outing im Fußball so schwer: Umfrage zur Homosexualität im Fußball unter Holland-Profis" [That's why outing in soccer is so difficult: Poll on homosexuality in soccer among Dutch professionals]. Bild (in German). Retrieved 19 October 2015.
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