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Goalkeeper John Achterberg started his career in his native Holland, where he played firstly for local team F.C. Utrecht. However, "Achto" failed to make a first team appearance with the Dutch club and after six years moved on to N.A.C Breda, where he made nine appearances in three seasons.
In 1996, Achterberg was on the move again, this time joined Eindhoven (not P.S.V.) on a free-transfer, signing a two-year contract with the club.
At the time, Eindhoven where a Second Division side in Holland and indeed they reached the play-offs to get to the First Division during Achterberg's time with the club.
Achto was the Eindhoven first choice goalkeeper in his two year spell with the club, making 38 appearances in two seasons. However, in 1998, after his contract had expired with the club, he chose to move on.
Possibly the biggest move of his career was to come next, as Tranmere manager John Aldridge offered Achterberg a trial at Prenton Park following the departure of Rovers goalkeeper Steve Simonson, who joined Everton.
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On September 25th 1998, Achterberg made his debut for Tranmere against Swindon Town in Division One (now Coca-Cola Championship), and he has since gone on to make a further 303 appearances for the club, with his most recent in a 0-0 draw for Tranmere at home to Walsall in October as he filled in for Danny Coyne, who was away on international duty.
In his time on the Wirral, Achterberg has not only had a highly successful career but he has become a much loved character. First choice goalkeeper for four Rovers managers (Aldridge, Watson, Mathias and Little), Achterberg has made an impressive 299 starts for Tranmere, and a 300th competative start is the least he deserves for his unrivalled service to the club.
Achterberg has had a number of quite brilliant moments in his Tranmere career. He was part of the Tranmere team that reached the League Cup Final in 2000, although he was unceremoniously dropped for the final which Rovers lost 2-1 to Leicester City at Wembley stadium, whilst during the 1999/2000 and 2000/01 seasons, Achterberg also helped Tranmere to two F.A. Cup Quarter Finals.
During these three cup runs, Achterberg was part of the teams that beat Premier League sides Everton (3-0), Middlesbrough (2-1), Coventry City (5-1), Sunderland (1-0) and of course that infamous Fifth Round F.A. Cup replay in the 2000/01 season, when Tranmere came back from a 3-0 half-time deficit to beat Southampton 4-3.
Of course, later that season Tranmere were sadly relegated from Division One, but that did not stop the cup runs, as in 2003/04 Rovers reached their third F.A. Cup Quarter Final in five years, beating Bolton Wanderers at the Reebok Stadium along the way, and drawing away to Millwall, a game in which Achterberg saved a penalty, before losing the replay 2-1 at Prenton Park.
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In the 2003/04 season, Achto kept a personal best 20 clean sheets, not a bad effort for one season by any means, and in his entire Tranmere career, he has kept 83 clean sheets.
Sadly, the last four seasons have been hampered by injury for Achterberg. Firstly, Achterberg picked up a knee injury during a 6-1 defeat for Tranmere at Hull, where midfielder Theo Whitmore was forced to go in goal, and conceded five times, whilst injury against Swansea on November 26th 2005 spelled the end of Actherberg's season, and indeed it wasn't until October 2006 that he played again.
The injury problems though had not been shaken off, and in February 2007 in a match against Yeovil Town, Achterberg again injured his knee, which would keep him out of the remainder of the season.
However, before that injury, Achterberg made six appearances in the season. One of these was as a substitute against Huddersfield Town in a Boxing Day match at the Galpharm Stadium. Tranmere goalkeeper Gavin Ward was forced to leave the field thanks to an injury, and Achterberg came on to the pitch to a quite stunning reception from the Tranmere fans.
For five minutes, they chanted the name of their hero goalkeeper, who has several terrace songs, a reception which I'm sure made the hairs stand up on the back of Achterberg's neck like they did on mine. It was a quite emotional and memorable day for the Rovers 'keeper and on a personal level I can say I've never seen or heard a player get such a good reception on entrance to the pitch.
Achterberg though has been back in the first team frame this season, having managed to keep the injury troubles away, making six first team appearances when first choice goalkeeper Danny Coyne has been injured our away on international duty.
It is perhaps fitting though that Achterberg looks to be finishing his playing career at Prenton Park with the same goalkeeper by his side with whom he started it: Danny Coyne.
At one point though, it looked like Achterberg would not be starting this season with Tranmere Rovers. At the end of the 2006/07 season, after his contract with the club had expired, Achterberg was released. This caused uproar with the Rovers fans, with over 3,000 of them signing a petition to get their hero a testimonial.
However, just a matter of days after Achterberg had been released, he re-signed for the club on a new two-year contract as a coach/player, a move that delighted Rovers fans.
Now in the twilight of his playing career, 36-year old Achterberg, who turns 37 on July 8th, spends much of his time coaching youngsters all around the Wirral and North Wales. Indeed, he coaches on every night of the week, as well as training with the Tranmere squad and he has also played a number of reserve team games for Rovers this season.
His work ethic is second to none, with Brian Little (Tranmere manager 2003-2006) describing the Dutchman as "the most professional player I have ever worked with".
Indeed, it is this work ethic and his lovable charm that have made him such a popular character with not only Tranmere fans, but also the supporters of other clubs, both in England and Holland. Always happy to take time to speak to fans and sign a few autographs, Achterberg is one of those players who will be greatly missed when he eventually leaves the English game. However, hopefully that day is some distance away, and perhaps he will be a Tranmere manager at some point. We can all dream.
Arguably not as good a player as the likes of Nevin and Aldridge, who have already been featured in this series of articles, but his status at Prenton Park is legendary all the same.
"Johnny Achterberg, tra la la la,
Johnny Achterberg, tra la la la la la,
Johnny Achterberg, tra la la la,
He's Dutch and he plays in GOAL GOAL GOAL"