Exclusive Interview With Marco

This website is delighted to carry information from an exclusive interview conducted in the Netherlands earlier today on our behalf. It seems that Marco Ruitenbeek is delighted to be coming to Dunfermline.

Jan Dahmen spent 90 minutes with Marco and put some of my questions to Dunfermline's new Dutch goalkeeper.

Initially I asked for background information of his playing career details, nickname, honours won, biggest match to have played in?

Marco started playing football with Wfc Rapiditas Weesp when he was 6 years old. He was there for 14 years before at the age of 22 he got a contract at Az Alkmaar (first division) where he played for 6 years. At Az they called him "shake" (ask Michel Doesburg he was with him during his Az time!).

Az were champions of the first division in 1996 the title clinching match against Emmen was the most important game of his career (winning the game 2-0, the championship and promotion to the Premier Dutch League).

For the last three years Marco has played with Go Ahead Eagles (Deventer) and his biggest match there was the quarter final of the Dutch League Cup.

Q.Jimmy Calderwood has recently signed Dutchmen, Michel Doesburg and Rob Matthaei from the Scottish club, Motherwell. Previously Dunfermline had a favourite player from Holland called Ivo Den Bieman. Has Marco played with any of these players before?

Marco and Michel Doesburg are good friends from the time they played together in Alkmaar (Az). He played against Rob Matthaei but Ivo den Bieman is not known by Marco.

Q. I saw Marco with Jimmy Calderwood in Dunfermline last month at a reserve match, so I would like his first impressions of Dunfermline (the town and the stadium) and Scotland the country.

He visited Scotland a few weeks ago for the first time, he had no time to see anything of Dunfermline but the stadium was impressive. Marco drove back to Glasgow with Michel Doesburg and during that drive he saw a great countryside of Scotland; he loves the country.

Q.Did Marco have the chance to speak with former Willem II goalkeeper, Kris Mampaey who played at Dunfermline from January 2000?

Marco had the chance to speak with Kris Mampaey and received a lot of information about the club and the players.

Q. The main club in Scotland are Glasgow Rangers who are managed by Dick Advocaat. Does Marco have any ideas on how to stop Advocaat and his players Van Bronkhurst and Michael Mols?

Marco has no ideas yet how to stop the Dutch in the Scottish Premier League but he will manage.

Q. Does Marco have any particular superstitions / pre match rituals?

No rituals for Marco, just some rest the day of the game.

Q. Does Marco have any pursuits away from football which he would like to continue in Scotland? (Kris Mampaey was a keen fisherman!)?

The pursuit of Marco is playing golf as a beginner, he plays once every week.

As a finish of this story Jan Dahmen adds: - I can tell you Marco is happy with the club Dunfermline, the players (they are great and he wants to drink some pints with them) and the City of Dunfermline.

Marco, Ingeborg and their daughter Kaylee are happy to come to Scotland. Pictured is Kaylee in her father's safe hands. For Ingeborg it is good to have a friend in Scotland (she knows the wife of Michel Doesburg from Marco's Az time).

The family is increasing a baby is due at the beginning of June (8th).

So there it is, probably a very good thing that Marco has never come across Ivo!

Just where is Chic Young?