{{short description|Dutch football coach and former player (born 1975)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2018}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Mark de Vries | image = | fullname = Mark Lyndon Patrick de Vries<ref name="Hugman 2008-09">{{cite book | editor-last = Hugman | editor-first = Barry J. | title = The PFA Footballers' Who's Who 2008–09 | publisher = Mainstream | year = 2008 | isbn = 978-1-84596-324-8}}</ref> | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1975|8|24|df=y}} | birth_place = Paramaribo, Suriname | height = {{height|ft=6|in=4}}<ref name="Hugman 2008-09"/> | position = Forward | currentclub = | youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = WGW Den Helder | youthyears2 = |youthclubs2 = HRC | youthyears3 = {{0|0000}}–1994 |youthclubs3 = Volendam | years1 = 1994–1998 |clubs1 = Volendam |caps1 = 28 |goals1 = 1 | years2 = 1998–1999 |clubs2 = Chamois Niortais |caps2 = 24 |goals2 = 2 | years3 = 1999–2002 |clubs3 = Dordrecht '90 |caps3 = 71 |goals3 = 27 | years4 = 2002–2005 |clubs4 = Heart of Midlothian |caps4 = 72 |goals4 = 29 | years5 = 2005–2008 |clubs5 = Leicester City |caps5 = 51 |goals5 = 8 | years6 = 2006 |clubs6 = → Heerenveen (loan) |caps6 = 7 |goals6 = 3 | years7 = 2006–2007 |clubs7 = → ADO Den Haag (loan) |caps7 = 27 |goals7 = 2 | years8 = 2007 |clubs8 = → Leeds United (loan) |caps8 = 6 |goals8 = 1 | years9 = 2008 |clubs9 = Dundee United |caps9 = 13 |goals9 = 2 | years10 = 2008–2012 |clubs10 = Cambuur |caps10 = 101 |goals10 = 47 | years11 = 2012–2013 |clubs11 = ONS Sneek |caps11 = |goals11 = | years12 = 2013–2015 |clubs12 = HCSC Den Helder |caps12 = |goals12 = <!-- LEAGUE GAMES ONLY - When you update this parameter, please update the pcupdate parameter! --> | manageryears1 = 2015–2017 |managerclubs1 = HCSC Den Helder (assistant manager) | manageryears2 = 2017 |managerclubs2 = TB/FC Suðuroy/Royn (assistant manager) | manageryears3 = 2017–2018 |managerclubs3 = Budapest Honvéd (assistant manager) }} '''Mark Lyndon Patrick de Vries''' (born 24 August 1975) is a Dutch football coach and former player. During his playing career he played in Holland, England and Scotland and has since coached in the Faroe Islands and Hungary. After Cambuur, he started working as a coach.
==Playing career == === Early career === De Vries was born in Paramaribo, Suriname, but when he was six months old his mother took him to live in Den Helder in the Netherlands. The towering striker played youth football for local side WGW Den Helder. In 1994, De Vries was recruited by FC Volendam where he gained four seasons experience at the top level in the Dutch Eredivisie.
De Vries spent season 1998–99 in the French Second Division with Chamois Niortais and then the Dutch First Division club Dordrecht '90 acquired his services in 1999. In his second season with the club, De Vries scored 11 times and netted 16 times the following season.
=== Heart of Midlothian === His services were now in demand and Hearts manager Craig Levein was successful in securing his transfer to the Scottish club in July 2002. De Vries played a massive part in helping Hearts reach the League Cup semi-final in February 2003 and also to secure third place in the Premier League and UEFA Cup football in successive seasons. He scored 29 goals in 72 league matches for the Edinburgh club. He is well remembered by Hearts fans for scoring 4 goals on his first start against fierce city rivals Hibernian in a 5–1 victory in August 2002.
On 6 November 2003, de Vries scored the winning goal which gave Hearts a shock victory over Bordeaux, producing one of the club's best ever away results in European competition.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/h/heart_of_midlothian/3243637.stm Hearts surprise Bordeaux], BBC Sport 6 November 2003. Retrieved on 2007-09-03.</ref> Hearts rejected an offer from QPR for de Vries on 21 December 2004, while Sheffield United and Plymouth Argyle all expressed an interest to sign the striker after his fine performances in the UEFA Cup.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/h/heart_of_midlothian/4027553.stm Blades join pursuit of De Vries], BBC Sport 21 December 2004. Retrieved on 2007-09-02.</ref>
=== Leicester City === De Vries joined Leicester City on 6 January 2005 – joining Craig Levein at his new club, and becoming his first signing, alongside fellow former Hearts player Alan Maybury.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/4141437.stm Leicester swoop for Hearts pair], BBC Sport 6 January 2005. Retrieved on 3 September 2007</ref> Upon signing for City, de Vries said,
{{cquote|''I had worked with Craig Levein at Hearts for two-and-a-half-years and he had always been good to me. I wanted the chance to work with him again. "Of course it was a big decision to leave Hearts because I really enjoyed my time there. But in the end it had to be Leicester. "I suppose you could say that I am an English style centre forward. I was certainly suited to the way the game was played in Scotland and I hope that continues down here. "When I went to Hearts I got the right feelings when I was looking around the place. I had those same feelings when I looked around the Walkers Stadium so hopefully my intuition will prove right again. The stadium is unbelievable.''}}
The striker made his debut for ''the Foxes'' in their 2–2 FA Cup third round draw with Blackpool at the Walkers Stadium on 8 January 2005. De Vries made 20 appearances for the Foxes that season, scoring his first goal for the club in a 3–1 defeat of Millwall, a goal which was to prove his only one of the season. He was employed as a lone striker in the FA Cup fifth round clash against Charlton Athletic on 19 February 2005, and was instrumental in City's progress to the quarter-finals as they won 2–1.
In the first half of the 2005–06 season, he scored 9 goals, including the winning goal against Tottenham Hotspur in the FA Cup.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/4565028.stm Leicester 3–2 Tottenham] BBC Sport 8 January 2006. Retrieved on 27 July 2007</ref> In a League Cup match against Blackpool on 20 September 2005, de Vries was made captain as he scored two goals for Leicester.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/4258474.stm Leicester 2–1 Blackpool], BBC Sport 20 September 2005. Retrieved on 2007-09-04.</ref>
After playing 35 matches for struggling Leicester in the season up to the end of January, de Vries left the club on a loan deal to Dutch club SC Heerenveen, following the dismissal of Levein, who was replaced by Rob Kelly. De Vries rejected a permanent move to Heerenveen in the summer, instead joining fellow Eredivisie side ADO Den Haag on loan for the 2006–07 season.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/5263100.stm De Vries joins Dutch club on loan], BBC Sport 18 August 2006.</ref> He only scored two goals in 27 appearances as the Dutch team were relegated to the Eerste Divisie.
On 7 June 2007, de Vries was placed on the transfer list alongside Rab Douglas.<ref>[http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10274~1033713,00.html Duo Listed] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609145857/http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0%2C%2C10274~1033713%2C00.html |date=9 June 2007 }}, 7 June 2007.</ref> Despite this, he remained in the first team for the start of the 2007–08 season, scoring his last goal for Leicester in a 4–1 home win over Watford on 25 August.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_1/6952795.stm Leicester 4–1 Watford] BBC Sport 25 August 2007. Retrieved on 2007-08-26.</ref> He made his last contribution for the club in a 3–2 away win over Nottingham Forest in a League Cup match on 18 September, assisting the winning goal.<ref>[http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0,19764,11065_2888021,00.html Nottingham Forest 2–3 Leicester City] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080131183136/http://www.skysports.com/football/match_report/0%2C19764%2C11065_2888021%2C00.html |date=31 January 2008 }}, Sky Sports 18 September 2007. Retrieved on 2007-09-19.</ref>
On 1 October 2007, De Vries joined Leeds United on loan for an initial one-month period, where he provided cover for Jermaine Beckford and Tresor Kandol.<ref>[http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10274~1124488,00.html De Vries on the move] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080131183506/http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0%2C%2C10274~1124488%2C00.html |date=31 January 2008 }}, 1 October 2007.</ref> He made his debut against Oldham Athletic on 2 October 2007,<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/7019589.stm Oldham 0–1 Leeds], BBC Sport 2 October 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-03.</ref> scoring his first goal for the club against Yeovil on 6 October 2007.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_div_2/7019617.stm Leeds 1–0 Yeovil], BBC Sport 6 October 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-07.</ref> On 25 October, Leeds terminated de Vries' loan contract after he suffered a broken toe. He made a total of four appearances for the club, scoring one goal.<ref>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/l/leicester_city/7062340.stm Injury halts De Vries loan spell], BBC Sport 25 October 2007. Retrieved on 2007-10-25.</ref> However, on 12 November 2007 he rejoined Leeds on until 15 January.<ref>[http://www.leedsunited.com/page/NewsroomDetail/0,,10273%7E1166206,00.html Big Man returns] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924184513/http://www.leedsunited.com/page/NewsroomDetail/0,,10273~1166206,00.html |date=24 September 2008 }}, Leeds United</ref> His time at Leicester finally came to an end when he was released by mutual consent on 25 January 2008.<ref name="de Vries Moves On">{{cite news |title = de Vries Moves On |url = http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0,,10274~1224559,00.html |publisher = Leicester City F.C. |date = 25 January 2008 |accessdate = 25 January 2008 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080128131753/http://www.lcfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/LatestNews/0%2C%2C10274~1224559%2C00.html |archivedate = 28 January 2008 |df = dmy-all}}</ref>
=== Dundee United === De Vries joined Dundee United on the same day he was released from Leicester City, for the third time linking up with Craig Levein who had signed him while at Leicester just under three years ago and Hearts before that.<ref name="Levein is re-united with de Vries">{{cite news| title = Levein is re-united with de Vries| url = https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/7205468.stm| publisher = BBC Sport| date = 25 January 2008}}</ref> De Vries scored his first goal for United in the League Cup final defeat against Rangers<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_cups/7296157.stm |title=Dundee Utd 2-2 Rangers |publisher=BBC |date=16 March 2008 |access-date=19 August 2013}}</ref> and netted his first league goal six days later in the win against Motherwell.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/scot_prem/7306406.stm |title=Dundee Utd 2-0 Motherwell |publisher=BBC |date=22 March 2008 |access-date=19 August 2013}}</ref> De Vries's contract expired at the end of June 2008 and he undertook a trial with Dutch side SC Cambuur in late July.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cambuur.nl/cambuur/news/article235238.ece|title=Notable debutant at SC Cambuur: Mark de Vries|date=29 July 2008|publisher=SC Cambuur|language=Dutch|accessdate=6 August 2008|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928050238/http://www.cambuur.nl/cambuur/news/article235238.ece|archivedate=28 September 2008}}</ref>
=== Cambuur Leeuwarden === De Vries joined SC Cambuur Leeuwarden on 28 August 2008. He scored on his debut against FC Emmen, a game that Cambuur won 6–2, scoring the final goal of the match. He signed a two-year contract with the club, who are favorites to win the league and to move up to the Eredivisie. Mark de Vries is, as a "pinch-hitter", very important for SC Cambuur, in last seasons playoffs he scored two important, winning, goals against FC Zwolle and the 1–1 in the away game against Roda JC, gaining a third and decisive game in the playoffs against that team (Roda JC) which SC Cambuur lost. Also in 2011 in playoffs he scored all three goal of SC Cambuur, but SC Cambuur could not qualify due to a last-minute equaliser by Zwolle, who passed at penalties. In 2010 De Vries was voted player of the year in the Dutch Jupiler League.
==Managerial career== After leaving Cambuur, de Vries played for ONS Sneek before returning to Den Helder to play and coach. He has since worked in the Faroe Islands for TB/FC Suðuroy/Royn and in Hungary for Budapest Honvéd.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.vice.com/nl/article/waarom-mark-de-vries-moederziel-alleen-in-hongarije-is/|title=Waarom Mark de Vries moederziel alleen in Hongarije is|publisher=Vice|date=22 May 2018|access-date=6 December 2018|language=Dutch}}</ref>
On 23 March 2023 it was announced de Vries had taken over AZ Alkmaar women as manager.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Diamond |first=Drew |date=2023-10-16 |title=Vrouwen Eredivisie: Telstar take hard earned 1-0 victory over AZ Alkmaar |url=https://herfootballhub.com/vrouwen-eredivisie-telstar-defeat-az-alkmaar/ |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=Her Football Hub |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Trainer Mark de Vries verhuist mee van VV Alkmaar naar AZ Vrouwen |url=https://www.nhnieuws.nl/nieuws/316985/trainer-mark-de-vries-verhuist-mee-van-vv-alkmaar-naar-az-vrouwen |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=www.nhnieuws.nl |language=nl}}</ref>
==Honours==
===Club=== '''Dundee United''' *Scottish League Cup runner-up: 2007–08
===Individual=== *Scottish Premier League Player of the Month: September 2002
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Soccerbase}} * [http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/players/devriesmark.html Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227061616/http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/players/devriesmark.html |date=27 February 2018 }} at * [http://www.londonhearts.com londonhearts.com]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vries, Mark De}} Category:1975 births Category:Living people Category:Surinamese emigrants to the Netherlands Category:Footballers from Paramaribo Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Dutch men's footballers Category:Leeds United F.C. players Category:Leicester City F.C. players Category:Heart of Midlothian F.C. players Category:Dundee United F.C. players Category:FC Volendam players Category:Chamois Niortais FC players Category:FC Dordrecht players Category:SC Heerenveen players Category:ADO Den Haag players Category:SC Cambuur players Category:Eredivisie players Category:Eerste Divisie players Category:English Football League players Category:Scottish Premier League players Category:Sportspeople from Den Helder Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England Category:Dutch expatriate men's footballers Category:ONS Sneek players