Could there be another soccer player who experienced so many incidents and accidents?
The life of former Netherlands national team striker Andy van der Meyde (46) resembled a movie. He debuted with Ajax in 1997 and rose to prominence, ultimately being selected for the national team.
Recognized for his talent, Andy transferred to Inter Milan in 2003. However, this marked the beginning of his misfortunes. Competing for a starting spot, he often found himself on the bench. Ultimately, he turned to alcohol and fell into addiction.
He had an opportunity to transfer to AS Monaco but declined. The reason is quite unique. Andy and his wife kept a zebra as a pet at home. Upon hearing that they could not raise a zebra in their Monaco apartment, he left his family in Italy and transferred alone to Everton.
However, his playing career did not improve at Everton either. He underwent rehabilitation for six months due to an injury. During this time, a daughter was born, but Andy turned back to alcohol. He even began cheating with a stripper he met at a strip club.
Suspecting Andy, his wife hired a private investigator to dig into his personal life. Ultimately, it was discovered that Andy had been cheating, leading to the collapse of their marriage. Andy's wife recalled, "I saw videos and photos of Andy rolling around naked with a stripper. After that, I called Andy and said, 'How's your new girlfriend?' and decided to divorce."
Due to repeated injuries and personal issues, Andy continued to have conflicts with Everton manager David Moyes. Eventually, he transferred to PSV in his fourth year at Everton. Later, Andy also fell into drugs and retired in 2012.
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