Ajax Born in
Arnhem,
Gelderland, Van der Meyde signed for
Ajax as a youngster, and made his first-team debut aged just 18, helping to a 1–0 win against
Twente on 12 November 1997. In 1999, in order to gain experience, he was loaned to Twente for one season, and was an undisputed starter for a side that
finished sixth in the
Eredivisie. It would be in
2001–02 that Van der Meyde established himself as first-choice at Ajax. After a turbulent start,
Ronald Koeman was instated as head coach, and the player became an integral part in the rebuilding of the team, making the right-winger position his own. The campaign ended in huge success as the
Amsterdam club conquered
the double, with him scoring five times in the league. In
2002–03 Van der Meyde – playing alongside the likes of youngsters as
Mido,
Zlatan Ibrahimović,
Rafael van der Vaart,
Wesley Sneijder,
Steven Pienaar and
Cristian Chivu – scored a career-best 11 goals, while also helping Ajax to
the quarterfinals in the
UEFA Champions League, netting in a crucial 1–1 away draw against
Roma which certified the team's qualification for the knockout stages.
Inter Milan In the 2003 off-season, 24-year-old Van der Meyde was acquired by
Inter Milan from Italy, for
£4 million. However, he managed only 14
Serie A appearances in
his first season, appearing slightly more in
the following campaign. Van der Meyde scored a spectacular goal against
Arsenal on 17 September 2003, in
the Champions League group stage 3–0 away win at
Highbury, as Inter were eventually ousted in the group stages.
Everton After leaving Inter, strong speculation suggested Van der Meyde would return to Ajax, with additional reported interest from French club
Monaco and
Tottenham Hotspur in England. However, on 31 August 2005, he agreed a contract with another
Premier League team,
Everton, for £2 million; on 25 March 2006, in his first
Merseyside derby against
Liverpool, he received a straight
red card for his challenge on Liverpool's
Xabi Alonso, in a 1–3 away loss. In the summer of 2006, Van der Meyde proved once again to be the centre of much speculation regarding his future, having failed to properly settle at Everton and making only ten appearances in
his first season thanks to a combination of injuries and rumours of alcoholism. He staunchly denied any such allegations and reaffirmed his commitment in June 2006, stating "I want to stay, I am desperate to stay. I love it here. Everything suits my game. I'm happy in England and I want to show everyone that I can really play football. If I get the chance next season, I will do it." Van der Meyde was admitted to hospital in the early hours of 7 August 2006, with breathing problems. It was claimed that his drink had been
spiked whilst in a bar in Liverpool. He was fined by Everton for breach of discipline and, to further add to a miserable week, his house was burgled during a
friendly with
Athletic Bilbao five days later: his
Ferrari,
Mini Cooper, and dog were amongst the items stolen. The cars and pet dog were later found, although the Ferrari had its windscreen smashed. In March 2007, the player accused manager
David Moyes of telling 'downright lies' in regard to his fitness, but apologised afterwards. In July 2007, Van der Meyde played a full 90 minutes in
Coleraine,
Northern Ireland. In arguably his most successful pre-season at the club, he went on to complete several friendly matches in an attempt to gain fitness ahead of
the new domestic league campaign. However, he further cast a doubt over his Everton future by failing to turn up for a scheduled training session. On 17 August 2007, Van der Meyde was suspended following a 'breach of club discipline' because he had failed to appear at training, being fined two weeks' wages for a total of £50,000. The player appealed for "understanding from the club and fans" due to the personal situation he was facing, with his five-month-old daughter Dolce not being allowed to leave the hospital since her birth due to illness; following this, he did not make an appearance for the main squad for over a year, being limited to just
reserve team football. Van der Meyde returned to first-team football on 7 December 2008, playing five minutes for an injury-hit Everton side in a 2–3 home defeat to
Aston Villa. The following month, he was brought on as a
substitute in the
FA Cup fourth round replay against Liverpool, providing the
assist to
Dan Gosling's winning strike in the 118th minute; he was released in June 2009, after his contract expired.
Later years Van der Meyde spent six months unattached before agreeing a short-term deal with
PSV Eindhoven in March 2010. On 23 April he made his debut for the club in a 3–0 friendly win over
VVV-Venlo, but failed to appear officially during his stint. In late February 2011, Van der Meyde retired from professional football at the age of 31. However, in December, he returned to action and joined
Topklasse amateurs
WKE based in
Emmen, until the end of the season. ==International career==