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Steven Pienaar Profile
| Born: | 17/02/1982 |
| Nationality: | South African |
| Height: | 1.70m |
| Weight: | 71kg |
| Birthplace: | Johannesburg |
| Position: | Midfielder |
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Steven Pienaar joined Everton in the summer of 2007.
Pienaar had already linked up with his new teammates in Los Angeles when confirmation of his work permit came through.
The one-year loan deal meant Everton had secured the services of one of the bright lights of South African football.
Pienaar emerged as one of the hottest talents in the game whilst playing for Ajax Amsterdam. Before plying his trade in the Eredivisie, he began his career at Ajax Cape Town - the satellite club of the Dutch side.
Pienaar excelled during his time at Ajax and was part of very forward thinking side that contained Everton's Andy van der Meyde and Zlatan Ibrahimovic - now at Inter Milan.
While in Holland he gained some vital European experience through participation in Ajax's Champions League campaigns.
In January 2006, Borussia Dortmund secured the services of the South African on a three-year contract. Pienaar was signed as a direct replacement for the Arsenal bound Tomas Rosicky.
The left-sided midfielder is known for his dynamic displays and was part of the South African squad at the 2002 World Cup.
Steven's Everton career began brightly and he scored his first goal for the Blues in the 2-0 victory against Middlesbrough in September.
Pienaar became an integral part of the Toffees midfield, with his creativity a vital part of Everton's attacking play.
He played for South Africa at the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana, but returned to Goodison with an injury.
Pienaar was back in action by the end of February - but his long term future soon became a topic of debate.
Any worries were soon put to bed though, as Everton concluded a deal with Dortmund in April that saw Pienaar make his move permanent for the bargain fee of £2.05million.
He signed a three-year deal until the summer of 2011.
A toe injury kept Pienaar out of the team early in 2008/09, and once back it took him a while to find his form. But since Mikel Arteta was ruled out for the season in February, the South African really stepped up to the plate.
He scored a screamer at Aston Villa in April and was the centre of much of the Toffees' best creative play in the latter part of the campaign.
