Wilfred Bouma
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Wilfred Bouma (born June 15, 1978 in Helmond, the Netherlands) is a footballer who plays for the Dutch national team, and also currently plays for PSV Eindhoven.
He started his career at amateur club SV Rood-Wit '62 before joining PSV on a youth contract in 1994. The PSV head coach back then, Aad de Mos handed him his professional debut against Willem II on October 26, 1994 which his team lost 2–1. After not featuring for a long time, he decided to join MVV Maastricht in 1996 and play in the Eerste Divisie where he scored 7 goals in 18 games. The following season, he scored 6 goals in 33 games after assisting his team back to the Eredivisie. Following a short spell at Fortuna Sittard in the 1998/1999 season where he played alongside future Dutch and PSV teammate Mark van Bommel, he sought a return to PSV the following season.
At PSV, he played a left winger and forward role due to his quick pace and direct passing, teaming up with Arnold Bruggink and at times, with Ruud van Nistelrooy. In the 1999 season, however, with the departure of leftback Arthur Numan to Glasgow Rangers, he was chosen to fill the vacant slot although veteran Jan Heintze also played in the same position.
With the Template:Wc qualification entering its crucial stages, Bouma was chosen to represent the Dutch team and was handed his international debut against Ireland on September 2, 2000 at the Amsterdam ArenA. In the Template:Ec2 tournament in Portugal, he was chosen by Dick Advocaat to play in the central defence role and he has also retained that spot while playing for PSV under Guus Hiddink in the current season.