A look at former Norwich City player Leroy Fer’s inclusion in the Netherlands' squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Born in Zoetermeer in the Netherlands on January 5, 1990 to Curaçaoan parents, Leroy Fer was eligible to play for both Holland and Curaçao at international level. He represented the Netherlands at various youth levels before making his senior debut against Ukraine in August 2010.
Fer didn’t feature for the national team again until a 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Turkey in September 2012, where he came off the bench in a 2-0 win while his first start came in another game against Turkey in October 2013.
In May 2014, the midfielder was included in the Netherlands World Cup squad for that summer’s tournament in Brazil. Fer was a Norwich City player at the time, having signed for the club from FC Twente in July 2013 on a four-year deal. The Dutchman made 32 appearances for the Canaries during the 2013/14 season, scoring four times, but he couldn’t prevent the club from being relegated from the Premier League.
With Fer watching on from the substitutes’ bench, Holland pulled off an impressive 5-1 victory over reigning world champions Spain in their 2014 FIFA World Cup opener before coming from behind to beat Australia 3-2 in their second match. In their final group game against Chile, Fer became the first Norwich City player to score in a World Cup Finals when he got Holland's opening goal on 77 minutes in a 2-0 win after coming on as a substitute. The Oranje went on to top their group and progress to the knockout phase.
Fer played no further part in the tournament as Holland eventually reached the last four of the competition before being defeated 4-2 by Argentina on penalties after a goalless draw after extra-time in a semi-final match in São Paulo on July 9, 2014. They won the third-place match against hosts Brazil and Fer was awarded a bronze medal.
The Dutchman made one appearance for the Canaries at the start of the 2014/15 Championship season before completing an £8m move to newly promoted Premier League outfit Queens Park Rangers in August 2014. He made 31 appearances and scored six goals for the Hoops in the top flight, before adding another two goals and 19 appearances to his tally in the first half of the 2015/16 season when QPR were playing in the Championship again.
A loan move to Premier League club Swansea City in February 2016 was made permanent that summer and he stayed with the south Wales side through until May 2019, captaining them under Graham Potter in his final season. Fer played in 101 games and scored 10 goals for the Swans in all competitions.
In July 2019, Fer returned to where it all began for him, as he signed a one-year deal with Eredivisie side, Feyenoord. At the age of nine, Fer had joined Feyenoord’s academy where he progressed through the ranks and into their first team. His debut came in December 2007 when he made a substitute appearance in a 6-0 win against Heracles Almelo.
After 11 years in Rotterdam, where he made 121 senior appearances and netted 16 times, Fer moved to FC Twente in August 2011 to continue his development as a player. He stayed for two seasons before making the move to Norwich, and the Premier League.
Fer hasn’t featured for the Netherlands since playing in a friendly against Mexico in November 2014. He has netted once in 11 senior internationals to date. He is currently plying his trade at Turkish Süper Lig side Alanyaspor.
Words by Andy Greeves.