What happened to Edgar Davids, the greatest 'pitbull' in the history of football?

Edgar Davids is a name every football fan should know. The Dutchman played for several major European clubs and captured many footballing hearts thanks to his energetic and combative style of play. Let's look back at the career of a very exceptional player, one of the icons of the 90s and 2000s.

Davids was born in Suriname, but moved to the Netherlands when he was still very young.

He took his first steps at local club ASV Schellingwoude, but soon joined Dutch giants Ajax. He made his debut for the Amsterdam club at the age of 18 and became a key player.

Davids was part of an outstanding Ajax team that included the likes of Marc Overmars, Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert, and won numerous trophies with the club, the undisputed highlight being the 1994/95 Champions League.

Because of his aggressive style of play, Davids was nicknamed 'The Pitbull' by then Ajax manager Louis van Gaal (pictured).

In 1996, Davids bid farewell to Ajax and joined Italian giants AC Milan on a free transfer. At the San Siro, the Dutchman was unlucky to break his leg in his first season, during which the Rossoneri disappointed by finishing 11th. In the first few months of the following season, he failed to establish himself as a regular starter.

In December 1997, Davids was recruited by Serie A rivals Juventus, the start of an exceptional partnership. The midfielder became a key player in the Turin team, alongside French playmaker Zinedine Zidane.

It wasn't just his style of play that made Davids a standout player at the time, but also his glasses, which he started wearing in 1995 because he was suffering from glaucoma.

Davids helped Juventus win three Scudettos and a Supercoppa Italiana in a six-year spell that ended in January 2004.

However, his time at Juventus was marked by a failed doping test for nandrolone in 2001, which earned him a ban of several months.

He then moved to FC Barcelona on a loan spell and helped the Blaugrana to a second-place finish in La Liga after a mediocre start to the 2003/04 season.

In July 2004, Davids signed for another Italian club, Inter Milan. Just one season later, he embarked on his first Premier League adventure with Tottenham Hotspur, where he became a fans's favourite.

After a year and a half in London, Davids thought it was time to return home and signed for Ajax, the club where it all began for the midfielder. In his first season, he claimed the Dutch Cup, but soon after tragedy struck when he broke his leg in a pre-season friendly.

His contract at Ajax expired in the summer of 2008, after which Davids was without a club for two years until he signed for Crystal Palace, where he stayed for just a few months. After another period without a club, he signed for low-tier side Barnet, where he was player-manager until he retired early 2014.

For many years, Davids was also an integral part of the Dutch national team, which he represented at several major tournaments.

However, UEFA Euro 1996 marked a low point in Davids' international career when he was sent home by then-manager Guus Hiddink (pictured), who felt the player had disrespected him in the press.

The 1998 FIFA World Cup, on the other hand, was a highlight for Davids. He scored the winning goal against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia that sent the Netherlands through to the quarter-finals against Argentina.

In total, Davids won 74 caps for the Netherlands, scoring 6 goals.

After his active playing career, he tried his hand at other activities. Before becoming a player-manager at Barnet, he joined Ajax as a member of the supervisory board.

In 2018, he moved on to a role as the Netherlands U20 manager.

He then held coaching positions at Dutch side Telstar (assistant) and Portuguese side Olhanense (head coach).

Davids's coaching career never really seemed to take off, but in May 2022 he was appointed assistant manager of the national football team under Louis van Gaal. Together, they led the Netherlands to the quarter-finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where they lost to Argentina after an epic battle.

Davids is not yet a star as a manager, but he was as a player, always giving his all to help his club win, which earned him legendary status in the football world.