View source for Kenneth Perez

{{short description|Danish footballer (born 1974)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name                = Kenneth Pérez
| image               = Kenneth Perez.jpg
| upright             = 1.2
| caption             = 
| full_name           = Kenneth Pérez Dahl Jensen
| birth_date          = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1974|8|29}}
| birth_place         = [[Copenhagen]], Denmark
| height              = 1.82 m
| position            = [[Winger (association football)|Winger]]
| years1   = 1992–1993 | clubs1 = [[Kastrup Boldklub]] 
| years2   = 1993–1995 | clubs2 = [[Akademisk Boldklub]] | caps2 = 36 | goals2 = 7
| years3   = 1995–1997 | clubs3 = [[F.C. Copenhagen|Copenhagen]] | caps3 = 30 | goals3 = 3
| years4   = 1997–2000 | clubs4 = [[MVV Maastricht]] | caps4 = 47 | goals4 = 16
| years5   = 2000–2006 | clubs5 = [[AZ (football club)|AZ]] | caps5 = 164 | goals5 = 51
| years6   = 2006–2007 | clubs6 = [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]] | caps6 = 27 | goals6 = 12
| years7   = 2007–2008 | clubs7 = [[PSV Eindhoven|PSV]] | caps7 = 14 | goals7 = 8
| years8   = 2008      | clubs8 = [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]] | caps8 = 16 | goals8 = 7
| years9   = 2008–2010 | clubs9 = [[FC Twente|Twente]] | caps9 = 57 | goals9 = 11
| totalcaps = 405 | totalgoals = 124
| nationalyears1 = 2003–2008 | nationalteam1 = [[Denmark national football team|Denmark]] | nationalcaps1 = 24 | nationalgoals1 = 2
| manageryears1 = 2011–2014<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dbold.dk/2014/04/30/dansk-aeresdivisions-legende-fravaelger-traenerjob/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150309103138/https://www.dbold.dk/2014/04/30/dansk-aeresdivisions-legende-fravaelger-traenerjob/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=9 March 2015 |title=Dansk Æresdivisions-legende fravælger trænerjob |access-date=30 April 2014 |publisher=dbold.dk }}</ref>
| managerclubs1 = [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]] (youth)<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bold.dk/nyt/Kenneth-Perez-gaar-traenervejen-i-Ajax|title= Kenneth Perez går trænervejen i Ajax | access-date= 30 July 2011|publisher = bold.dk}}</ref>
}}

'''Kenneth Pérez Dahl Jensen''' (born 29 August 1974) is a Danish former professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[winger (association football)|winger]]. Perez scored two goals in 24 matches for the [[Denmark national football team|Denmark national team]] from 2003 to 2008, and he was chosen to compete at the [[2004 UEFA European Football Championship|2004 European Championship]].

He appears regularly on Dutch television as a [[Pundit (expert)|pundit]] for [[Fox Sports Eredivisie]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.foxsports.nl/abonneren/#klantenservice|title= Fox Sports: Onze analisten|access-date= 18 December 2016|publisher = foxsports.nl}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Kenneth Perez was born on 29 August 1974 in [[Copenhagen]], Denmark, as Kenneth Perez Dahl Jensen. He is married to Britt Perez. They have two sons.

In 1997 his girlfriend Britt moved with him from Denmark to the Netherlands, and a few years later, they married.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2257485/bio?ref_=nmmi_bio_sm IMDb biography]</ref>

Perez's mother is from [[Las Palmas de Gran Canaria]].<ref>[http://www.terra.es/deportes/articulo/html/dpo406584.htm Kenneth Pérez: 'Toda mi familia española animará a Dinamarca' · Fútbol · Deportes · Terra<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

==Career==
Perez started his career for Danish club [[Akademisk Boldklub]], where he reached the 1995 [[Danish Cup]] final. The final was lost to [[F.C. Copenhagen]], with whom Perez signed a two-year contract in autumn that year. He played two years for F.C. Copenhagen, and Perez was a part of the team which won the 1997 Danish Cup. With months left of his contract, he moved abroad in August 1997, to play for Dutch [[Eredivisie]] side [[MVV Maastricht]]. Perez scored goals frequently for MVV, and his [[dribbling]] ability was regarded as one of the best in the Eredivisie. With his contract nearing expiry, he looked to leave the club in winter 1999. Dutch clubs [[Roda JC]] and [[AZ (football club)|AZ]] wanted to buy Perez, and he eventually penned a {{frac|5|1|2}}-year contract with AZ starting from January 2000.

He made his debut for the [[Denmark national football team|Denmark national team]] under manager [[Morten Olsen]] in November 2003. He came on as a substitute to replace [[Dennis Rommedahl]] in the 3–2 victory against [[England national football team|England]]. He was selected to represent Denmark at the 2004 European Championship, where he took part in one match, coming on as a substitute.

Often playing on the [[left winger]], Perez was the most technical of AZ's prolific strike force during the [[2004–05 Eredivisie|2004–05 season]]. He was AZ's top goal scorer in that season, as he fired 13 goals past opposition [[goalkeeper (association football)|goalkeepers]], and was the joint 9th best league goal scorer. The club finished in third place that season, and ended second in the [[2005–06 Eredivisie|2005–06 season]]. After six-and-a-half years at AZ, Perez transferred to rival Eredivisie side [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]] in the summer 2006. He subsequently ended his national team career to focus on playing for Ajax. Since his debut in November 2003, Perez played 19 national team matches, though he was either substituted on or off the pitch, and never played a full national team match.

He won the [[Dutch Super Cup]] trophy with Ajax, beating [[PSV Eindhoven|PSV]] 3–1 in August 2006. In December 2006, Perez admitted having used a [[racial slur]] against an [[Assistant referee (association football)|assistant referee]]. He publicly apologized to the assistant referee and received a five-match ban and a €12,500 fine.

In July 2007, Perez signed with Ajax rivals PSV on a two-year deal.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/news/kind=1/newsid=560267.html|archive-url= https://archive.today/20070713172700/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/news/kind=1/newsid=560267.html|url-status= dead|archive-date= 13 July 2007|title= Perez completes PSV switch|access-date= 11 July 2007|publisher = [[UEFA]]}}</ref>

On 31 December 2007, it was announced Perez would make a shock return to Ajax with immediate effect. He signed a one-and-a-half-year deal with an option for another season.

Pressed for an explanation, [[Jan Reker]], the technical director of PSV, responded on 1 January 2008. Reker observed that Perez had requested a transfer back to Amsterdam only after Ajax had failed to lure [[Ismail Aissati]] to Amsterdam. According to Reker, Perez cited two reasons for the request: the commute from his home in [[North Holland]] to Eindhoven on a daily basis was a burden; and, once PSV coach [[Ronald Koeman]] left, interim coach [[Jan Wouters]] had limited his playing time.

Perez and [[Martin van Geel]], the technical director of Ajax, subsequently disputed Reker's account. Perez stated that PSV had initiated the transfer by telling Perez, just four months after his arrival from Ajax, that he no longer had a future at the club; and that Ajax, on the other hand, was still looking for a replacement for star midfield player [[Wesley Sneijder]], who had been sold to [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]]. Then, with the departure of [[Henk Ten Cate]] to [[Chelsea F.C.|Chelsea]] in September, Perez had a path back to Amsterdam. Van Geel added that Ajax had only wanted to buy Aissati the previous summer and that the failure to acquire Assaiti was not a factor in Perez's transfer.

Perez was relegated to the Ajax reserves in the summer of 2008 by new Ajax head coach [[Marco van Basten]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.goal.com/en-us/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=804724 |title=Perez No Longer Needed at Ajax |publisher=Goal.com |date=4 August 2008 |access-date=2 May 2010}}</ref> He was released at the end of August.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ajax.nl/web/show/id=154417/contentid=67219 |title=Ajax en Kenneth Perez uit elkaar |publisher=Ajax.nl |date=28 August 2008 |access-date=2 May 2010 |language=nl |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520150103/http://www.ajax.nl/web/show/id%3D154417/contentid%3D67219 |archive-date=20 May 2011 }}</ref> and later on July was transferred to [[Steve McClaren]]'s [[FC Twente]].

In January 2010, Perez marked himself as the player with the second most assists and goals in Dutch football through the past decade. The only player above him was Dirk Kuyt.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bold.dk/nyt/Perez-hyldes-i-Holland|title= Perez hyldes i Holland|access-date= 6 January 2010|publisher = bold.dk}}</ref> On 2 May 2010, Perez won his first Eredivisie title, coincidentally also the first title of his club FC Twente, at the age of 35 years. It was his last match in a FC Twente jersey.

==Career statistics==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>{{cite web|title=Kenneth Pérez » Club matches|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe1189/kenneth-perez/club-matches/|website=worldfootball.net|access-date=24 November 2017}}</ref>
|-
!rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season
!colspan="3"|League
|-
!Division!!Apps!!Goals
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[F.C. Copenhagen|Copenhagen]]
|1995–96
|rowspan="2"|[[Danish Superliga]]
|7||0
|-
|1996–97
|22||3
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!29!!3
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[MVV Maastricht]]
|1997–98
|rowspan="3"|[[Eredivisie]]
|12||2
|-
|1998–99
|22||8
|-
|1999–00
|13||6
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!47!!16
|-
|rowspan="8"|[[AZ Alkmaar]]
|1999–00
|rowspan="7"|Eredivisie
|7||1
|-
|2000–01
|7||0
|-
|2001–02
|28||6
|-
|2002–03
|29||11
|-
|2003–04
|32||10
|-
|2004–05
|30||13
|-
|2005–06
|31||10
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!164!!51
|-
|[[AFC Ajax|Ajax]]
|2006–07
|Eredivisie
|27||12
|-
|[[PSV Eindhoven|PSV]]
|2007–08
|Eredivisie
|14||8
|-
|Ajax
|2007–08
|Eredivisie
|16||7
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[FC Twente|Twente]]
|2008–09
|rowspan="2"|Eredivisie
|26||6
|-
|2009–10
|31||5
|-
!colspan="2"|Total
!57!!11
|-
!colspan="3"|Career total
!354!!108
|}

==Honours==
'''Copenhagen'''
*[[Danish Cup]]: [[1996–97 Danish Cup|1996–97]]

'''Ajax'''
* [[Johan Cruijff Schaal]]: [[2006 Johan Cruyff Shield|2006]]

'''Twente'''
*[[Eredivisie]]: [[2009–10 Eredivisie|2009–10]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{DBU player|4539}}
* [http://www.vi.nl/Spelers/Speler/Kenneth-Perez.htm Voetbal International profile] {{in lang|nl}}

{{Denmark Squad 2004 European Championship}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perez, Kenneth}}
[[Category:1974 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Copenhagen]]
[[Category:Danish men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football wingers]]
[[Category:Denmark men's international footballers]]
[[Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players]]
[[Category:Akademisk Boldklub players]]
[[Category:F.C. Copenhagen players]]
[[Category:MVV Maastricht players]]
[[Category:AZ Alkmaar players]]
[[Category:AFC Ajax players]]
[[Category:PSV Eindhoven players]]
[[Category:FC Twente players]]
[[Category:Danish Superliga players]]
[[Category:Eredivisie players]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Danish expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Danish people of Spanish descent]]
[[Category:AFC Ajax non-playing staff]]