Regi Blinker

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Regi Blinker

| image = Ned-AllStars (13).jpg

| caption =

| fullname = Reginald Waldie Blinker{{Hugman|1737|accessdate=6 March 2017}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|6|4|df=yes}}

| height = 1.73 m{{Cite web |last=Strack-Zimmermann |first=Benjamin |title=Regi Blinker (Player) |url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/14910/Regi_Blinker.html |access-date=2023-01-30 |website=www.national-football-teams.com |language=en}}

| position = Winger

| currentclub = Indonesia (team developer)

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Delfia

| youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = DHC Delft

| youthyears3 = | youthclubs3 = Feyenoord

| years1 = 1986–1996 | clubs1 = Feyenoord | caps1 = 238 | goals1 = 45

| years2 = 1988–1989 | clubs2 = → Den Bosch (loan) | caps2 = 25 | goals2 = 6

| years3 = 1996–1997 | clubs3 = Sheffield Wednesday | caps3 = 42 | goals3 = 3

| years4 = 1997–2000 | clubs4 = Celtic | caps4 = 47 | goals4 = 9

| years5 = 2000–2001 | clubs5 = RBC | caps5 = 22 | goals5 = 5

| years6 = 2001–2003 | clubs6 = Sparta Rotterdam | caps6 = 30 | goals6 = 1

| totalcaps = 404 | totalgoals = 69

| nationalyears1 = 1993–1994 | nationalteam1 = Netherlands | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Reginald Waldie Blinker (born 4 June 1969) is a former professional footballer who is currently the team developer of the Indonesia national team. He mostly played as a left winger. During his 17-year senior career, he amassed Eredivisie totals of 307 games and 57 goals over 12 seasons, mainly with Feyenoord. He also played three years in Scotland with Celtic. Born in Suriname, he played for the Netherlands national team at international level.

Club career

File:Regi Blinker (1986).jpg

Born in Paramaribo, Suriname, Blinker began his career with Feyenoord in 1986. He stayed at De Kuip for ten seasons, including one on loan at FC Den Bosch, and formed an efficient winger partnership with Gaston Taument (from 1991 to 1995, the pair combined for 61 Eredivisie goals).{{cite news|url=http://www.feyenoordgeschiedenis.net/wedstrijden/1993-MVV-Feyenoord.htm|title=Feyenoord bevecht een kampioenschap|trans-title=Feyenoord fights for championship|publisher=Feyenoord Geschiedenis|language=Dutch|date=25 May 1993|accessdate=25 May 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/5009/Archief/article/detail/2604956/1996/04/01/Taument-begeerd-door-Ajax-Ik-kan-op-dit-moment-gewoon-niets-zeggen.dhtml|title=Taument, begeerd door Ajax: Ik kán op dit moment gewoon niets zeggen|trans-title=Taument, coveted by Ajax: I just can't say anything at the moment|newspaper=Trouw|language=Dutch|date=1 April 1996|accessdate=25 May 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.lunaticnews.nl/nieuws/1991-b-v-v-den-bosch-feijenoord/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604143157/http://www.lunaticnews.nl/nieuws/1991-b-v-v-den-bosch-feijenoord/|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 June 2011|title=1991: B.V.V. Den Bosch – Feijenoord|trans-title=1991: B.V.V. Den Bosch – Feyenoord|publisher=Lunatic News|language=Dutch|date=2 June 2011|accessdate=25 May 2016}}

On 4 March 1996, Blinker joined Sheffield Wednesday for £275,000, scoring a brace on his debut, a 3–2 away defeat against Aston Villa. He was suspended by FIFA for a time at the end of the year, after it was discovered that he had signed for Udinese Calcio without telling the management at Feyenoord and then subsequently signing for the English club.{{cite news|url=https://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/news/newsid=70152/index.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130123000852/http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/organisation/news/newsid=70152/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 January 2013|title=Reggie Blinker free to play on Saturday|publisher=FIFA.com|date=6 December 1996|accessdate=18 July 2012}}

In August 1997, Blinker moved to Celtic in part exchange for Paolo di Canio as part of the club general manager Jock Brown's infamous 'trade' deal with Sheffield Wednesday.{{cite web|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/SPIN+JOCKTOR%3B+Brown+under+fire+after+Di+Canio+finally+leaves.-a061069065|title=Brown under fire after Di Canio finally leaves|newspaper=Daily Mirror|last=Weir|first=Stewart|accessdate=22 March 2013|date=7 August 1997}}{{cite web|url=http://www.wsc.co.uk/the-archive/30-Clubs/6033-celtic-cross|title=Celtic cross|publisher=When Saturday Comes|last1=Oliver|first1=Gary|date=November 1998|accessdate=4 January 2016}} He re-joined former Feyenoord coach Wim Jansen, who had been appointed the previous month, going on to win the Scottish Premier Division and the Scottish League Cup in his first season{{cite news|url=http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/celtic/313681-where-are-they-now-celtic-and-dundee-utd-stars-from-last-league-cup-final/|title=Where are they now? Celtic and Dundee Utd stars from last League Cup Final|publisher=STV Sport|last=Brannan|first=Laura|date=13 March 2015|accessdate=4 January 2016}} and scoring 12 goals in 70 competitive games.{{cite web|url=http://www.fitbastats.com/celtic/player.php?playerid=2845|title=Blinker, Regi|publisher=FitbaStats|accessdate=4 January 2016}}

Blinker returned to the Netherlands in the summer of 2000, signing for RBC Roosendaal. After suffering top flight relegation as last, he joined Sparta Rotterdam, meeting the same fate; he played for amateurs Deltasport Vlaardingen for a few more years, before retiring at the age of 37.{{cite news|url=https://www.feyenoord.nl/nieuws/nieuwsoverzicht/65715|title=Regi Blinker houdt het voetbal voor gezien|trans-title=Regi Blinker is done with football|publisher=Feyenoord|language=Dutch|date=17 December 2002|accessdate=25 May 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.vi.nl/nieuws/einde-loopbaan-regi-blinker-in-zicht.htm|title=Einde loopbaan Regi Blinker in zicht|trans-title=End of career is in sight for Regi Blinker|publisher=Voetbal International|language=Dutch|date=28 March 2003|accessdate=25 May 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://sabotagetimes.com/football/whatever-happened-to-celtic-cult-hero-regi-blinker|title=Whatever happened to Celtic cult hero Regi Blinker?|publisher=Sabotage Times|last=Lowes|first=Peter|date=23 September 2011|accessdate=4 January 2016}}

International career

Blinker won three caps for the Netherlands national team, while at Feyenoord. He made his debut on 24 March 1993 in a 6–0 home win against San Marino for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifiers where he featured 70 minutes, in Utrecht.

Blinker made his last appearance nearly one year later, in a friendly with Tunisia.

Post-retirement career

Upon retiring, Blinker became a publisher of lifestyle magazines for the professional football world in the Netherlands, the company being named Life After Football.

In 2025, Blinker was appointed as a team developer for the Indonesian national football team with Bram Verbuggen.