Barnsley hit the jackpot with £250k gamble on little-known defender - Wigan & Portsmouth saw his class too | OneFootball

Arjan de Zeeuw was a real hit in the English leagues

Arjan de Zeeuw was a relatively unheard-of Dutch centre-back when he arrived on English shores at Barnsley from Eerste Divisie side Telstar in 1995.

Despite that, the Dutchman went on to have a really successful career at multiple English clubs, with all of Barnsley, Portsmouth and Wigan Athletic benefitting from having the super-professional Dutch defender within their squad.

His short spell at Coventry City was a little less successful, but de Zeeuw has certainly kept himself busy after football, becoming an investigative detective in Alkmaar, specifically focusing on forensics.

Arjan de Zeeuw nearly quit football over a transfer dispute

Despite the successful and dedicated career that he had, the Dutchman always had options on the table in case football didn't work out - as he studied for a degree in medical science whilst playing for Vitesse '22 in the Dutch amateur leagues, somewhat explaining the post-football career swap.

By the age of 22, he had turned pro and was playing for the relatively small club of Telstar in the second division of Dutch football, before, after two years at the club, he considered quitting football as he felt that they had priced him out of a move to FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie.

After eventually agreeing to stay another year at Telstar, Barnsley fans would've been thankful that he had decided to continue his football career, as he signed for the Tykes for £250,000 in 1995.

Arjan de Zeeuw announced himself in English football at the Tykes

De Zeeuw was an instant hit at Oakwell, and became a vital member of the Barnsley squad that got promoted to the Premier League in the 1996/97 season. That promotion was somewhat of a surprise, as the Tykes won promotion to the Premier League in order to dine at the top table of English football for the first time in the South Yorkshire club's long and proud 102-year history, having finished 10th the year before.

The big Dutchman was then a regular in their Premier League at Oakwell, but was part of the side that understandably did struggle in the top flight. After a decent start that saw them win two of their opening four games, their form was unable to be consistently maintained, and they were therefore comfortably sent straight back down to the second tier.

After being relegated in their first season back in the top flight, it felt as if the South Yorkshire side wouldn't have been able to keep hold of de Zeeuw as top division clubs circled. However, his influence at Oakwell was so huge that he was persuaded by new manager, John Hendrie, who was a teammate of de Zeeuw only a year prior before he moved into management, to sign a new deal.

But he was unable to stop the Tykes from finishing 13th in the second tier, as a disappointing campaign was only really highlighted by a 7-1 win over local rivals Huddersfield Town and run the last-eight of the FA Cup, with de Zeeuw naturally then making the decision to swap Barnsley for Wigan.

De Zeeuw was vital for the Wigan Athletic side that he joined thereafter, becoming a crucial and dependable part of their backline. He won the coveted Player of the Year award for the Latics in both 2001 and 2002, which meant that it was perhaps a bit of a surprise when he left the 'Tics and moved to Portsmouth on a free transfer.

He was, yet again, an instant fans' favourite at Fratton Park - and he won the Portsmouth Player of the Year award for their first season in the Premier League after being a key member of the team that helped to get them there.

After falling out with then-manager Alain Perrin, the then-Pompey skipper de Zeeuw returned to Wigan - where he earned praise from then-Prime Minister Tony Blair.

His second spell at Wigan, like his year-long stint at Coventry, was hampered significantly by injuries and, after a brief spell with Dutch club ADO'20 in 2009, he hung up his football boots for the last time later that year.

He was a rare example of an example professional in the modern game - and therefore holds a special place in the hearts of most Tykes, Latics and Pompey supporters.