Maceo Rigters

Maceo Rigters (born 22 January 1984 in Amsterdam, Netherlands) is a Netherlands Association football, currently playing for Barnsley F.C. on loan from Blackburn Rovers F.C. in England. He has also played for the Netherlands national under-21 football team. He plays as a striker.

Club career

SC Heerenveen, FC Dordrecht & NAC Breda

Rigters started his football career at Eredivisie club, SC Heerenveen where he made his senior debut during the 2002-03 in Dutch football. He had a short spell at Eerste Divisie club FC Dordrecht in the 2002-03 in Dutch football. On 1 January, 2005 he signed a four-and-half-year contract with Eredivisie club NAC Breda where he scored five goals in 61 appearances.

Blackburn Rovers

Rigters was signed by Blackburn Rovers for an undisclosed fee on 2 July 2007, with the striker signing a four year contract with the Lancashire club. He made his first official appearance or Blackburn in a UEFA Intertoto Cup match against Lithuanian club, FK Vėtra on 22 July, 2007 as a second half substitute replacing Benni McCarthy in the 65th minute. His first start came on 30 August against Finland club, MyPa, in a UEFA Cup first round match, and he made his Premier League debut on 29 September.

Rigters played only one more league game for the club that season on 11 February, 2008, and after struggling to make an impact at the club, He made his first appearance for Norwich as a 78th minute substitute in a 5–1 win over Colchester United F.C.. However, in only his second substitute appearance for the club on 29 March, during a home defeat to Bristol City F.C., Rigters lasted just fifteen minutes as he sustained a torn hamstring, and he subsequently returned to Blackburn for treatment.

International career

Rigters scored on his debut for the Netherlands national under-21 football team on 5 February, 2008 when he came on as a second half substitute in a 3–0 win over Russia national under-21 football team, scoring the third Dutch goal. On 23 March he scored as the Dutch Under-21s drew 1–1 with Czech Republic national under-21 football team.

He was called up by under-21 team coach Foppe de Haan as a last minute addition to the squad for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship on the eve of the tournament which was held in the Netherlands.

In the semi-finals against England national under-21 football team, Rigters scored a 90th minute equaliser with a bicycle kick to take the match to extra time and eventually a penalty shoot-out, in which Rigters also scored as well, and the Dutch team won the shoot-out 13–12. He was also voted Man of the match for the second time.

The Dutch went on to retain their 2006 title by beating Serbia national under-21 football team 4–1 in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Final. Rigters scored the third goal, his fourth of the tournament, which put him ahead of England's Leroy Lita and give him the Golden Boot as top scorer. After the tournament he was named in the UEFA Team of the tournament.