Steven Pienaar

Steven Jerome Pienaar is a South African football player who currently features for the English Premier League club Everton. He is a versatile football player who can play anywhere across the midfield.

Pienaar is a product of the famous youth academy of Ajax Amsterdam (although at Ajax Cape Town in South Africa) and made his debut for the senior side of the Dutch giants in February 2002 in a 1-0 victory over NAC Breda in the Dutch first division.

Pienaar quickly matured to become a leading figure in the first team for Ajax and made 94 league appearances and several UEFA Champions League appearances. He was signed by German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund in January 2006 on a three-year contract but struggled at the club.

In the summer of 2007, Pienaar was signed by Premier League side Everton on a one-year loan deal. Pienaar impressed in his first season at Goodison Park, featuring in 25 matches in the league and scoring 2 goals.

Pienaar was impressive for Everton in the next three years, scoring seven goals in 76 Premier League appearances. That form saw him earn the move to Tottenham Hotspur, who released him after six months. Pienaar played for Everton on loan in the second half of the 2011-12 campaign and joined the Toffees the following summer on a permanent deal.

Pienaar made his international debut for South Africa in 2002 and scored six goals in 61 matches for his country before retiring in 2012. He played for South Africa at the 2002 and 2010 World Cup finals.