Steven Pienaar

Steven Pienaar

Personal information
Full name	Steven Jerome Pienaar[1]
Date of birth	17 March 1982 (1982-03-17) (age 28)
Place of birth	Westbury, Johannesburg, South Africa
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2]
Playing position	Winger, Attacking Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Everton
Number	20
Youth career
–	Westbury Arsenal
–	School of Excellence
–	Ajax Cape Town
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999–2001	Ajax Cape Town	24	(6)
2001–2006	Ajax	94	(15)
2006–2008	Borussia Dortmund	25	(0)
2007–2008	→ Everton (loan)	28	(2)
2008–	Everton	58	(6)
National team‡
2002–	South Africa	51	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:38, 11 May 2010 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15:39, 11 June 2010 (UTC)

Steven Jerome Pienaar (born 17 March 1982) is a South African footballer who plays for English Premier League club Everton. He can play on either the right or left wing and is also a member of the South African national team. In his career, Pienaar has played for Ajax Cape Town, Ajax, Borussia Dortmund and Everton.

Career

Ajax Cape Town

Born in Westbury, Johannesburg, Pienaar started his professional career at Ajax Cape Town, some 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) away from his home in Johannesburg. He was brought to the attention of Ajax CT whilst playing for the School of Excellence and was asked to join Ajax Cape Town's youth academy.

Pienaar said "I was very fortunate to go to the School of Excellence 2000, to be able to polish the technique and the talent that God gave me and to learn how to use it in the way that God had wanted me to."^[3]

"I was fortunate to work with the Dutch coach Leo van Veen, who helped me at Ajax Cape Town,"

"He appreciated the way I played but at the same time he changed my mentality. He taught me how to prepare for games, not just playing to please the crowd but also how to play for the team." ^[3]

At Ajax Cape Town he won the Rothman's Cup beating Orlando Pirates 4–1 in the final in what was to be his final game for the club.

Pienaar with Ajax

Ajax Amsterdam

Aged 18, he was brought over to the Netherlands in January 2001 but did not make his Eredivisie début until 24 February 2002 – in a 1–0 victory over NAC Breda. He became a pivotal member of the Ajax team that won the Dutch League in 2002 and 2004. Steven shone as one of Ajax's best players alongside stars such as Ibrahimovic, Maxwell, Chivu, Mido, Nigel De Jong, Rafael Van Der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Everton team-mate John Heitinga. Andy Van Der Meyde, who also had a forgettable stint at Goodison Park, was also in that squad.

Pienaar at Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund

In January 2006, it was announced that German club Borussia Dortmund had signed Pienaar on a three-year contract from Ajax. Seen as a replacement for Arsenal-bound Tomáš Rosický, Pienaar's first year with Borussia Dortmund saw him receive the number 10 shirt vacated by the Czech playmaker. Pienaar struggled at Dortmund and was never accepted by the players at the club.^[4]

Everton

Pienaar joined English club Everton on loan for 2007–08 and later signed a three-year contract from Dortmund for a pre-agreed fee of £2 million after payment of an initial loan fee of £350,000 in April 2008.^[5] He made his Premier League debut for Everton in the latter stages of the 2–1 home victory against Wigan Athletic. He scored his first Everton goal in the 2–0 home victory over Middlesbrough in September 2007.

On 4 May 2010, Steven received recognition for his efforts in the form of an award for Everton's Player of the Season, which he said he was "really honoured" to receive. ^[6]

International career

A former under-17 international,^[7] he made his international debut for South Africa in a 2–0 win against Turkey in 2002 and has since accumulated 46 caps and 2 goals.

He participated at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and in April 2010 he was named in the a 29 man preliminary squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.^[8]

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	3 July 2004	Johannesburg, South Africa	Burkina Faso	1–0	2–0	2006 FIFA World Cup Qual.
2	26 March 2005	Johannesburg, South Africa	Uganda	2–1	2–1	2006 FIFA World Cup Qual.

Club career statistics

Personal life

Pienaar grew up with his mother Denise and two sisters and one brother in Westbury, a largely coloured township on the outskirts of Johannesburg during the apartheid era. Pienaar was once beaten up in a neighbouring white Township of Triomf and also lost a childhood friend who was killed by a bullet, both incidents were because of the colour of his skin. Pienaar was also shot with daisy guns.^[9]

Pienaar was not allowed to sit on the couch at his home in Westbury because of his mother's fear of him being shot.^[9]

Pienaar is commonly referred to by his nickname "Schillo"^[10] in South Africa, a childhood nickname given to him by friends after the exploits of Totò Schillaci during the 1990 World Cup.^[11]

Controversy

Steven Pienaar's ex-girlfriend Danielle Steeneveld attempted to sue Pienaar for ZAR10.8million in August 2009 for not marrying her.^[12][13] Steeneveld, the mother of Pienaar's daughter Skyla, claimed that Pienaar broke a promise to wed and ended their two-year relationship "without just cause", she also claimed that Pienaar took away her contraception so she would become pregnant and that her reputation has been tarnished as she is an unmarried mother and "emotionally traumatised".^{[14][13][15][16]} The case was later dismissed.^[9]

Of the claims, Pienaar said: "My faith is really strong and helps me in difficult times, like when my little girl Skyla’s mother started making up these stories about me after we broke up. If people wanted to believe them, fine. I kept quiet, because it was someone looking for attention, and I was not going to get drawn into her games."^[9]

Pienaar was charged with drunk-driving and failure to comply with a traffic sign in central Liverpool during February 2010.^[17]

Advertising

In the run up to the 2010 World Cup, Pienaar was involved in a high-profile adidas sportswear advertising campaign.^[18]

Honours

Club

Ajax Cape Town

• Rothman's Cup (1): 2000

Ajax Amsterdam

• Eredivisie (2): 2001–02, 2003–04
• KNVB Cup (2): 2001–02, 2005–06
• Johan Cruijff-schaal (2): 2002, 2005

Everton

• FA Cup Runner-up: 2008–09

Individual

• SAFA Player of the Year (1): 2009^[19]
• Everton Player of the Season (1): 2009-10^[20]

References

External links

• Official website
• Steven Pienaar - FIFA competition record
• Steven Pienaar - UEFA competition record
• Steven Pienaar career stats at Soccerbase
• Goal.com profile
• ESPN Profile

South Africa Squad South Africa squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Vonk • 2 Nzama • 3 Carnell • 4 A. Mokoena • 5 Lekgetho • 6 Sibaya • 7 Fortune • 8 Mngomeni • 9 Mukansi • 10 Mnguni • 11 Pule • 12 T. Mokoena • 13 Issa • 14 Nomvethe • 15 Zuma • 16 Arendse • 17 McCarthy • 18 Buckley • 19 Radebe (c) • 20 Marlin • 21 Pienaar • 22 Molefe • 23 Koumantarakis • Coach: Sono South Africa squad – 2008 Africa Cup of Nations 1 Fernández • 2 Fransman • 3 Masilela • 4 Mokoena • 5 Morris • 6 Davids • 7 Nhlapo • 8 Tshabalala • 9 Moriri • 10 Pienaar • 11 van Heerden • 12 Modise • 13 Mhlongo • 14 Chabangu • 15 Zuma • 16 Josephs • 17 Mphela • 18 Walaza • 19 Moon • 20 Evans • 21 Fanteni • 22 Dikgacoi • 23 Khune • Coach: Parreira South Africa squad – 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Fourth Place 1 Fernández • 2 Gaxa • 3 Masilela • 4 Mokoena • 5 Mhlongo • 6 Sibaya • 7 Davids • 8 Tshabalala • 9 Mphela • 10 Pienaar • 11 van Heerden • 12 Modise • 13 Dikgacoi • 14 Booth • 15 Mdledle • 16 Khune • 17 Parker • 18 Fanteni • 19 Moon • 20 Khumalo • 21 Mashego • 22 Baloyi • 23 Gould • Coach: Santana South Africa squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup 1 Josephs • 2 Gaxa • 3 Masilela • 4 Mokoena (c) • 5 Ngcongca • 6 Sibaya • 7 Davids • 8 Tshabalala • 9 Mphela • 10 Pienaar • 11 Modise • 12 Letsholonyane • 13 Dikgacoi • 14 Booth • 15 Thwala • 16 Khune • 17 Parker • 18 Nomvethe • 19 Moriri • 20 Khumalo • 21 Sangweni • 22 Walters • 23 Khuboni • Coach: Parreira