Westerveld's first professional match was for FC Twente in 1994. After two seasons there he moved to Vitesse for three. Following the 1998–99 season, during which he helped Vitesse to qualify for Europe, Westerveld was sold to Liverpool, where he succeeded David James. He became the most expensive goalkeeper in British football when he joined the Reds for a reported fee of £4 million during the summer of 1999. Westerveld made his Liverpool debut against Sheffield Wednesday on 7 August 1999 in a 2–1 away win. Then on 28 August 1999 he saved a Davor Šuker penalty as Liverpool beat Arsenal 2–0. He was Gérard Houllier's first choice to succeed James as Anfield's number one, and Westerveld fully justified the manager's confidence by playing a leading role in Liverpool's return to Europe, conceding the fewest goals in the 1999–2000 Premier League season. He played a key role in the treble season of 2000–01 for Liverpool, emerging as the hero of the League Cup final victory over Birmingham City, making the winning save from Andrew Johnson in the penalty shoot-out. However, towards the end of his two-season spell at Liverpool, he was often subjected to criticism from the media. After a major mistake in a match against Bolton Wanderers on 27 August 2001 he was put on the bench by Houllier, who promptly signed two new goalkeepers, Jerzy Dudek and Chris Kirkland. He did not play again after the Bolton error, and was sold to Real Sociedad of La Liga on 16 December2001, for £3.4 million.
Real Sociedad
Sociedad were runners-up in La Liga in the 2002–2003 season, and played in the following season's Champions League. However, that season saw him loaned to RCD Mallorca, where Miguel Ángel Moyá kept him out of the team. His contract then expired.
In July 2005 he moved back to the Premier League with Portsmouth, being signed by Alain Perrin on a one-year contract. He was expected to be the first choice goalkeeper, ahead of Jamie Ashdown and Kostas Chalkias. However, after an inconsistent time at Fratton Park, in which he played only 6 league matches, he was allowed to move on a 28-day loan to Everton, rivals of his former club Liverpool, on 24 February 2006. Everton had a temporary goalkeeping crisis in which Nigel Martyn, Richard Wright and Iain Turner were all unavailable, and Westerveld played two matches for them. When he returned to Portsmouth, he remained a substitute and was released by Harry Redknapp on 11 May 2006.
Later career
On 28 July 2006, Westerveld signed with Segunda División club UD Almería for one season, in which he helped them to achieve promotion to La Liga before leaving the club at the end of his contract. On 7 September 2007, he joined Sparta Rotterdam on a short-term contract and in May 2008 he announced that he was to leave Sparta. During the summer of 2009 he signed for Italian Lega Pro Prima Divisione club A.C. Monza Brianza 1912, after a successful trial with the club. He later joined Ajax Cape Town in South Africa where he was the number 1 goalkeeper. At the end of the 2012–13 season, his contract was terminated and then became a goalkeeping coach at the club.
International career
Westerveld made his debut for the Netherlands on 8 June 1999, in an away friendly 3–1 defeat to Brazil in Goiânia. He was included in the Dutch squad for Euro 2000, and played the last group match against France, both teams being already qualified. The last of his six caps came on 28 February 2001, in a 0–0 friendly home draw with Turkey, although he did make the squad for Euro 2004.
