Anyone who saw Eljero Elia on the ball knew what was coming. And still couldn't stop it. A winger with pace, nerve and a trick that brought crowds to their feet. He played in five countries, for clubs such as Juventus and Feyenoord, and played for the Netherlands in the biggest match in the world.
A look back at a career that began in Voorburg and brought him trophies in Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.
Starting out in The Hague
Elia was born in Voorburg on 13 February 1987. He made his professional debut at ADO Den Haag, where as a young forward he quickly stood out with his acceleration and his willingness to take on defenders one-on-one. He played three seasons in the first team there.
Breakthrough at FC Twente
In 2007 he moved to FC Twente. There he grew into one of the most dangerous attackers in the Eredivisie. Defenders knew he wanted the ball and wanted to run in behind, and yet they often couldn't get near him. In 2009 he was voted Dutch Talent of the Year.
The Bundesliga and Juventus
Hamburger SV brought him to Germany in 2009. He made an impression within his first few months: his goal against 1. FC Nürnberg was voted ‘Tor des Monats’ for December 2009, the Goal of the Month of German broadcaster ARD-Sportschau.
In 2011 he made the move to Juventus, one of the biggest clubs in Italy. That season Juventus became champions unbeaten; Elia played in four league matches. He then returned to Germany with Werder Bremen, where he was under contract from 2012 to 2015. In January 2015 he joined Southampton on a six-month loan and got to know the Premier League.
The 2010 World Cup final
Elia won 30 caps for the Netherlands and scored twice. The highlight came in the summer of 2010, at the World Cup in South Africa. Elia played in six of the seven World Cup matches, each time as a substitute. The Netherlands reached the final against Spain, and in that final Elia came on in the 71st minute for Dirk Kuyt. As a player, you hardly get closer to a world title than that.
Champion with Feyenoord
In 2015 he joined Feyenoord. It turned into two great years. In 2016 he won the KNVB Cup, and in 2017 Feyenoord became league champions: the club's first title in eighteen years. For many supporters that season is still one of the best ever.
Champion in Turkey
After Feyenoord he left for İstanbul Başakşehir. There too he won a trophy: in 2020 the club became champions of Turkey. He then played for FC Utrecht and returned to ADO Den Haag, where it all began. He played his last professional match there in January 2022; a serious ankle injury ended that season. In February 2023 he announced that he was retiring from professional football for good.
His career at a glance
- ADO Den Haag (2004–2007)
- FC Twente (2007–2009)
- Hamburger SV (2009–2011)
- Juventus (2011–2012): Italian champion 2012
- Werder Bremen (2012–2015)
- Southampton, on loan (2015)
- Feyenoord (2015–2017): KNVB Cup 2016, league champion 2017
- İstanbul Başakşehir (2017–2020): Turkish champion 2020
- FC Utrecht (2020–2021)
- ADO Den Haag (2021–2022): last professional club
- Netherlands national team: 30 caps, 2 goals, 2010 World Cup final
The Signature
Together with Eljero we created The Signature: a football shirt from a team in his career, signed by him by hand. You get a shirt from Juventus (home or away), the Netherlands or Southampton: three teams, four versions. Which shirt you get is the surprise. You can watch footage of the signing session on The Proof. Numbers are limited.
Read more about Elia, his clubs and The Signature on the Eljero Elia page.