Rodney Sneijder

Ajax

Born in Utrecht, Rodney Sneijder joined the De Toekomst youth set up at Ajax in 2000 after scoring four goals in a 7–1 win over an Ajax junior side for youth team, DOS Elinkwijk. In May 2008, it was reported that Wesley Sneijder had prevented his younger brother from a summer transfer to his club at the time, Real Madrid. Wesley Sneijder said, "Real Madrid wanted him and Rodney was very happy about that. But when I heard, I stopped the discussions. I am not in favour of juniors increasingly going to top clubs. I've told him that he first must make a break through at Ajax." He was elevated to the senior squad at 19 years of age in January 2011 and a month later signed a professional contract with the club to extend his stay at Ajax until at least 2013. Sneijder was included in the club's first team when he appeared as an unused substitute in the Johan Cruijff Schaal, in a 2-1 loss against Twente.

FC Utrecht (loan)

Sneijder had several clubs interested in him during the 2011 summer transfer window but chose to sign for FC Utrecht on a season long loan. Upon joining the club, he was given the number 21 shirt. He made his league debut on 27 August 2011, scoring in a 3–1 victory over Roda JC. For his debut performance, Sneijder was named in the Team of the Week. Sneijder's playing time at Utrecht led him to continue to play for the club. He scored his second goal for Utrecht in a 3–0 defeat of RKC Waalwijk on 1 October, opening the scoring in the 16th…

Sneijder was first called up by Netherlands U17 in May 2008 and made his Netherlands U17 debut, in a 3-0 loss against Turkey U17 on 4 May 2008. Sneijder scored his first Netherlands U17 in his fourth appearance, in a 2–1 loss against Spain U17. Sneijder previously scored his first goal for Netherlands U17, in a 2–1 win over Hungary U17 in the elite round of UEFA Euro U17 Championship. The following year, Sneijder was called up by Netherlands U19 in March 2009 and went on to make six appearances.

Despite being prevented from joining Real Madrid, Sneijder considered his brother, Wesley, as his second father. In July 2013, Sneijder severed ties with agent Soren Lerby. During an interview in a radio station in Thessaloniki, Rodney confirmed that he and Wesley Sneijder (along with their other brother Jeffrey) have part-Greek descent, since their grandmother (their father's mother) was a Greek woman born in Kavala, Macedonia, Greece and moved to Utrecht before World War II.