Born in
Castricum,
North Holland, De Zeeuw started his career at Vitesse '22 in the Dutch amateur leagues, and studied for a degree in
medical science whilst playing for the club. At the age of 22, he turned professional and signed for
Telstar in the
Eerste Divisie. In 1995, he considered quitting football after he felt Telstar had priced him out of a move to
Eredivisie side
Utrecht, but decided to stay with the club for one more year. He was a key player in the side that won promotion to the
Premier League in the 1996–97 season. The club were relegated the following year, and it appeared that De Zeeuw was set to leave the club in the summer after turning down a new contract, but was later persuaded by new manager
John Hendrie to sign a one-year deal. When his contract expired at the end of the 1998–99 season, he moved to
Wigan Athletic. At Wigan he soon became a vital team member, proving to be highly dependable at the back, and received the club's Player of the Year award in 2001 and 2002. His contract with Wigan expired in the summer of 2002, and the following season, he moved on a free transfer to
Portsmouth. He was an integral part of the Portsmouth squad
that claimed the First Division championship. De Zeeuw is considered by many to be an excellent example of professionalism in the modern game. He refused to retaliate after
El Hadji Diouf spat in his face during a match at the
Reebok Stadium in November 2004. His response was to score the winning goal in Portsmouth's 1–0 victory. In Wigan's second Premiership season, he struggled to get a regular first team place due to a series of injuries and was released by the club on 17 May 2007. Whilst at Wigan he started in the
2006 Football League Cup Final. In a poll to celebrate the centenary of the
Professional Footballers' Association fans voted De Zeeuw to be the best player of all time for Wigan Athletic. In June 2007, it was announced that De Zeeuw had signed a one-year contract with
Coventry City. During pre-season training, a freak accident left the defender sidelined for 6 to 8 weeks. He made his debut against
Bristol City on 15 September 2007. It was announced towards the end of the 2007–08 season that De Zeeuw would be one of eight first team players whose contracts would not be renewed. His season was hampered by injury and lack of form leading to new manager
Chris Coleman decided he was surplus to requirements. In 2009, he signed with ADO'20. ==Personal life==