Dirk Kuyt will be moving to Turkey

Dirk Kuyt © Getty Images

The European Championships are about to begin, but Dirk Kuyt (Dutch spelling: Dirk Kuijt) had some time left to take an important decision: he's going to play football at Fenerbahçe. Both Fenerbahçe and his current football club, Liverpool FC, have confirmed the move.

In a statement Liverpool FC officials say, "Liverpool Football Club can confirm that Dirk Kuyt has advised the club that he has reached an agreement with Fenerbahçe SK over a move to Turkey, and the transfer is expected to be completed in the next few days. Everyone at Liverpool Football Club would like to wish Dirk all the very best for the future and thank him for his contribution to the club."

Dirk with Noelle and Roan © Dirkkuytfoundation.nl

Dirk will sign a three-year contract with the Turkish club. He was supposed to stay at Liverpool FC until 2013, but this last season was disappointing, first-team starts were hard to come by under trainer Kenny Dalglish. It is unknown how much Fenerbahçe will pay Liverpool FC. 

It was rumoured that Dirk Kuyt would go back to his old club, Feijenoord in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. However, Dirk said that, "if I returned to Holland, I would have to take an 80% cut in my Liverpool wages. If you are 35 or 36, you know your career is almost done. But I'm only 31 and in the prime of my life. I still have two or three years left at the top. I still have an ambition and fitness to play at the highest level, a club in a major competition or a big club with European ambitions."

Dirk Kuyt with wife Gertrude, daughter Noelle and sons Roan, Jordan and Aidan © ANP

Dirk married his longtime girlfriend Gertrude in 2003. The couple has four children, daughter Noelle (born in 2005), and sons Roan Dirk (born in 2007), Jordan Giovanni (born in 2008) and Aidan Benyamin (born in 2011).