Liverpool cult hero has new look after undergoing facial surgery

The former Liverpool and Netherlands striker, who spent six years at Anfield from 2006 to 2012, went viral in 2021 after fans noticed his dramatically different appearance

Dirk Kuyt on Ziggo Sport TV(Image: Ziggo Sport TV)

Liverpool legend Dirk Kuyt appears remarkably different now compared to his playing career.

However, despite speculation that he has had cosmetic surgery, the Dutchman maintains he has only undergone an unrelated eyelid operation. Kuyt, 45, dedicated six years of his peak at Anfield, where he established himself as a supporters' hero for his relentless work ethic and selfless wing-play.

The adaptable attacker hung up his boots in 2018 and was largely forgotten by the British public for several years. That changed when the former Netherlands international, now a coach, went viral in 2021 while working as a pundit for Dutch television broadcaster Ziggo Sport.

Covering a fixture between Liverpool and Tottenham, Kuyt appeared exceptionally smart wearing a black turtle neck.

Yet viewers and online supporters were left astonished by what they believed to be a notable transformation in his physical appearance, too. His trademark blonde curls and clean-shaven look had vanished.

In their place, he displayed a slicked-back, short back-and-sides hairstyle and had cultivated his facial hair.

The general view was that Kuyt's appearance looked rejuvenated, with supporters on social media even suggesting that he resembled a fashionable hipster. Some even questioned whether he had undergone a facelift.

Kuyt during his Liverpool days(Image: Getty Images)

But the Liverpool cult hero dismissed those suggestions by refuting having cosmetic work done. He clarified that he underwent a very different procedure, stating: "What I did have was eyelid surgery on both eyes.

"That was necessary because when I was tired or had a glass of wine, my eyelids would droop. After the procedure, my face was a bit swollen, just when I was filming for Ziggo Sport. And I have a different hairstyle."

Kuyt also attracted attention when he revealed his divorce from his wife, Gertrude, in June 2020, following 22 years of marriage. No explanation was offered publicly for the separation, though he characterised it as the most agonising period of his life.

He stated at the time: "It's a sad situation the family and I are in. Both Gertrude and I have to process the separation, and I have to make sure it's handled well for the children as well."

It even prompted him to step away from his coaching position in charge of Feyenoord's U19s, after he'd been earmarked to eventually make the step up and manage the club where he featured 199 times across two different spells.

Kuyt had departed Liverpool in 2012 to join Fenerbahce, having netted 71 goals in 286 matches for the Reds. Following three years in Turkey, he returned to his former club Feyenoord and hung up his boots after a spell at amateur side Quick Boys in 2018.

He has subsequently returned to management, taking charge of Belgian outfit Beerschot in December 2023. He steered them to promotion to the Belgian Pro League in his maiden campaign, but the drop back down the following season resulted in his dismissal in June 2025 following just five victories from 36 fixtures.

A week afterwards, Kuyt accepted the role of head coach at second-tier Dutch club FC Dordrecht, who are presently seventh in the standings.