Vurnon Anita

1.1. Early Life

Vurnon San Benito Anita was born on 4 April 1989 in Willemstad, Curaçao, which was then part of the Netherlands Antilles. He began his football journey in Curaçao, playing for the local team CVV Willemstad. At just eight months old, Anita and his family moved to the Netherlands, where he started playing for the amateur side VV Maarssen. He returned to his birthplace in Curaçao at the age of six, rejoining CVV Willemstad. In 1997, his family once again relocated to the Netherlands, and he re-entered VV Maarssen.

1.2. Youth Career

Anita's performances at VV Maarssen attracted the attention of Ajax scouts. In 1999, he joined the renowned Ajax youth program. During his time in the academy, he was also deployed as a libero, earning high praise from then-academy coach Marco van Basten. There were inquiries about his acquisition from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, but Ajax declined these approaches, recognizing his potential.

2.1. Ajax

Anita was promoted to the Ajax first team for the 2005-06 season. He made his Eredivisie debut on 19 March 2006, at the age of 16, in a 3-2 away loss against FC Groningen. This marked him as the second-youngest player to debut for Ajax, trailing only Clarence Seedorf. In the same season, he participated in the KNVB Cup semi-final against Roda JC, and although he did not feature in the final, Ajax went on to win the KNVB Cup.

The following season, 2006-07, he made one league appearance against SBV Excelsior and his European debut in the UEFA Cup in a 3-0 away loss to Werder Bremen. He did not play any first-team matches during the 2007-08 season, despite winning the Johan Cruijff Schaal with the club. He returned to the first-team squad in 2008-09, making 16 appearances, primarily as a replacement for injured or suspended teammates, and debuted in the UEFA Cup 2008-09 against FK Borac Čačak.

In the 2009-10 season, Anita became a regular under new head coach Martin Jol. Due to a suspension for Urby Emanuelson and a long-term injury to Thimothée Atouba, Anita was deployed as a left-back. Jol was satisfied with his performance and continued to play him in this position for most of the season. He played in the KNVB Cup final against Feyenoord, securing his second KNVB Cup title.

The 2010-11 season saw Anita continue as a left-back, with Ajax qualifying for the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time since 2005-06. Following poor team performances, Martin Jol left Ajax in December 2010 and was replaced by Frank de Boer. De Boer believed Anita was better suited as a defensive midfielder, leading to competition for a starting spot. Anita successfully adapted, scoring a goal against AZ Alkmaar in a 4-0 home victory and playing most matches. The season culminated in two finals against FC Twente; Twente won the KNVB Cup 3-2, but Ajax secured the Eredivisie championship on the final matchday with a 3-1 win, marking Anita's first league title. In April 2011, Anita signed a new contract, extending his stay at the club until 2014.

On 11 March 2012, Anita reached his 100th appearance for Ajax in a 3-0 victory over RKC Waalwijk at the Amsterdam Arena, playing the full 90 minutes. The 2011-12 season saw Ajax win their second consecutive league title, with Anita playing an increasingly crucial role, primarily as a left-back and defensive midfielder.

2.2. Newcastle United

After an initial bid was rejected by Ajax, Newcastle United reached an agreement for Anita's transfer with a second offer, reportedly around 8.50 M EUR (6.70 M GBP). On 16 August 2012, he signed a five-year deal with Newcastle, taking the number 8 shirt previously worn by Danny Guthrie. Anita made his debut on 18 August 2012, replacing Yohan Cabaye in a 2-1 Premier League victory over Tottenham Hotspur on the opening day of the 2012-13 season. His first start for the club came on 23 August in a Europa League match against Atromitos F.C., which ended in a 1-1 draw. He scored his first goal for Newcastle in a Europa League fixture against Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadium on 8 November, a match that finished 2-2. The club reached the Europa League quarter-finals that season, with Anita making 11 appearances and scoring 1 goal in the competition.

On 1 March 2014, Anita scored his first league goal for Newcastle in a 4-1 away win against Hull City. The match was notable for manager Alan Pardew's controversial headbutt on Hull player David Meyler. When Siem de Jong signed for Newcastle on 1 July 2014, he revealed that both Anita and Tim Krul were instrumental in persuading him to leave Ajax for Tyneside.

Under new manager Steve McClaren, Anita became a regular central midfielder during the 2015-16 season. He played 18 of the first 19 games before sustaining a hamstring injury against West Bromwich Albion on 28 December 2015, which kept him out for an extended period. Newcastle was relegated to the EFL Championship that season, with Anita making 28 appearances.

In the 2016-17 season, he was primarily deployed as a right-back, playing 31 games across all competitions. This season saw Newcastle win the EFL Championship, securing promotion back to the Premier League. On 9 June 2017, Anita's contract with Newcastle expired, and he departed the club.

2.3. Leeds United

On 6 July 2017, Anita signed a three-year contract with Leeds United. He made his debut for Leeds on 6 August 2017, coming on as a first-half substitute at left-back for the injured Gaetano Berardi in a 3-2 victory against Bolton Wanderers. His first start came on 9 August 2017 in a League Cup 4-1 win against Port Vale.

Due to injuries to regular fullbacks like Luke Ayling, Gaetano Berardi, and Laurens De Bock during the 2017-18 season, Anita was often used as a right-back or left-back. However, his performances in these defensive roles were noted by some, including Talksport's Billy Hawkins, as having "little success". On 26 July 2018, Anita was not assigned a shirt number for the upcoming 2018-19 season. His contract with Leeds was terminated by mutual consent on 2 September 2019.

2.4. CSKA Sofia

In late February 2020, Anita joined Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia. However, his tenure was brief, as he only made two league appearances and one Bulgarian Cup appearance before the championship was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He cancelled his contract with the club prior to the resumption of matches in June.

2.5. RKC Waalwijk

On 31 August 2020, Anita joined Dutch club RKC Waalwijk on a free transfer. He initially left the club at the end of the 2020-21 season but re-signed for another season on 26 August 2021. He further renewed his contract on 24 July 2022, signing another one-year deal.

2.6. Al-Orobah

On 23 June 2023, Anita joined Saudi First Division League side Al-Orobah.

2.7. FC Volendam

On 16 January 2025, Anita moved to Volendam on an amateur basis, with a contract until 30 June 2025.

3.1. Netherlands

Anita had an extensive international career with the Netherlands at youth and senior levels.

3.2. Curaçao

Having not appeared for the Netherlands in a competitive senior international football match, Anita formally filed a one-time switch in 2021 to play for the Curaçao national team. He debuted for Curaçao in a 5-0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification win over Saint Vincent and the Grenadines on 25 March 2021.

4.1. Music Career

Anita is also active as a rapper, releasing music under the moniker "JR (Vurnon Anita)". He has collaborated with fellow footballers Leroy Fer, Ryan Babel, and Mitchell Burgzorg, releasing CDs under various names such as JR, Lerra F, Rio, and Priester.

5.1. Club Statistics

5.2. International Statistics

6.1. Club Honours

• Eredivisie: 2010-11, 2011-12 (with Ajax)
• KNVB Cup: 2005-06, 2006-07, 2009-10 (with Ajax)
• Johan Cruijff Shield: 2006, 2007 (with Ajax)
• EFL Championship: 2016-17 (with Newcastle United)

6.2. Individual Honours

• UEFA-CAF Meridian Cup: 2007 (with European Selection U-18)
• Eredivisie Team of the Month: September 2022