# Rick Kruys

Rick Kruys (Dutch pronunciation: ; born 9 May 1985) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Eerste Divisie club Volendam. His father, Gert Kruys is also a former professional footballer and current manager.

## Club career
### Utrecht

Kruys started his professional career in Utrecht in 2003. He played in Utrecht for five years and played over 100 league games. In 2008 Dutch media reported that Kruys would sign a 4+1⁄2-year contract with Malmö FF, and he eventually joined the team in July 2008.

### Malmö FF

Due to injury problems Kruys would only play four games for his first season at the club. In 2009 Kruys played 13 games for the club in his best season this far at the club although still battling injuries. For the 2010 league winning season Kruys once again had much problems with injuries and played only four games. In early 2011 Malmö FF gave Kruys permission to look for a new club to restart his career.

#### Loan to Volendam

Kruys was eventually loaned to Volendam until 1 June 2011. When the loan deal expired Kruys returned to Malmö, but was not included in the squad as the club was awaiting eventual bids from clubs in the Netherlands. On 19 July it was announced that Kruys would continue to play for Volendam on loan until the end of the season.

### Excelsior

Kruys signed a two-year contract with Excelsior on 13 July 2012. He was part of Excelsior's promotion to the Eredivisie in the 2013–14 season. He made 122 appearances for the club, scoring five goals, and he announced his retirement from professional football on 7 February 2016.

## International career

Kruys has represented the Netherlands under-21 team in 16 games, in which he scored one goal.

## Coaching career

During the 2013–14 season, Kruys was working as an individual coach for Utrecht's academy alongside his playing career at Excelsior. He then left the position in 2014 and started working as a youth coach and assistant manager at VV De Meern, still playing for SBV Excelsior beside. Kruys left Excelsior in 2016 and continued at De Meern, now also as player and he was later also hired as a youth coach at Utrecht again.
Retiring from playing football at the end of 2017, Kruys became an assistant coach at Utrecht in January 2018, alongside his former coach Marinus Dijkhuizen and under head coach Jean-Paul de Jong. In May 2018, Kruys signed a new deal until the summer 2023 with Utrecht. After de Jong was fired in September 2018, Kruys and Dijkhuizen were appointed joint-caretaker managers. They were replaced later on the month and Kruys continued as an assistant manager.

## Managerial career

On 16 June 2022, VVV-Venlo appointed Kruys as head coach on a two-year deal, effective from 1 July 2022, replacing Jos Luhukay. In March 2024, he announced his decision not to renew his expiring contract at the end of the season, stating, "It was a very difficult choice, but I feel it's time for a new challenge."
On 4 June 2024, Kruys was announced as head coach of newly relegated Eerste Divisie club Volendam, a team he also represented during his playing career. He signed a two-year contract.

## Honours

Utrecht
* Johan Cruyff Shield: 2004

## Footnotes

* ↑ "Kruys – Voetbal International". Voetbal International (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 19 September 2015.
* ↑ "Kruys definitief naar Malmö". RTV Utrecht (in Dutch). 25 July 2008. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
* ↑ "Rick Kruys klar för MFF". Sydsvenskan (in Swedish). 27 July 2008. Archived from the original on 4 August 2008.
* ↑ Wiman, Max (24 March 2011). "Kruys letar ny klubb". Sydsvenskan (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 9 March 2016.
* ↑ "Kruys lånas ut under våren". Malmö FF (in Swedish). 26 January 2011. Archived from the original on 31 January 2011.
* ↑ Sundberg, Andréas (30 May 2011). "Malmö FF tar inte tillbaka Rick Kruys - får lön för att ha semester". fotbollskanalen (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
* ↑ "Kruys ook volgend seizoen in Volendam". Jupiler League (in Dutch). 19 July 2011. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011.
* ↑ "Rick Kruys definitief naar Excelsior". Rijnmond (in Dutch). 13 July 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
* ↑ "2014: Excelsior Rotterdam promoveert naar de Eredivisie!". Excelsior Rotterdam (in Dutch). 18 May 2014. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
* ↑ "Rick Kruys (30) stopt met voetballen". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 7 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
* ↑ "Rick Kruys wordt jeugdtrainer bij FC Utrecht". FC Utrecht (in Dutch). 7 February 2016. Archived from the original on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
* ↑ "Kruys (30) keert als jeugdtrainer terug bij FC Utrecht". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 7 February 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
* ↑ Groenstege, Minne (2 January 2018). "De Jong hoofdtrainer bij FC Utrecht, Dijkhuizen en Kruys assistenten". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 June 2022.
* ↑ Reedijk, Tim (25 May 2018). "Rick Kruys tot 2023 assistent bij FC Utrecht". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 28 June 2022.
* ↑ Wilkins, John (4 September 2018). "FC Utrecht part company with coach De Jong". Utrecht Central. Archived from the original on 19 October 2020.
* ↑ "Hagenaar Dick Advocaat nieuwe hoofdtrainer FC Utrecht". Haaglanden Voetbal (in Dutch). 12 September 2018. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
* ↑ "VVV-Venlo stelt Rick Kruys aan als nieuwe hoofdtrainer | VVV-Venlo". VVV-Venlo (in Dutch). 16 June 2022. Archived from the original on 16 June 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
* ↑ "VVV kondigt vertrek van hoofdtrainer Kruys aan". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 5 March 2024. Archived from the original on 4 June 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
* ↑ "Rick Kruys tekent voor twee seizoenen als trainer van FC Volendam". FC Volendam (in Dutch). 4 June 2024. Archived from the original on 4 June 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.