Mario Dino Patrick Melchiot (born 4 November 1976) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defender. He played both as a right-back and as a centre-back, and also occasionally played in midfield. Early life Melchiot was born and raised in Amsterdam, living with his two brothers and two sisters. He enjoyed a close relationship with his eldest brother, Winston, who acted as Mario's mentor after their parents split up. When Winston died of a heart attack at the age of 25, Melchiot considered giving up football. Club career Ajax Melchiot started his career in the youth system at Ajax, and made his debut in the 1996–97 season. He scored his first goal for the club in the semi-final of the Champions League in a 4–1 defeat against Juventus. Melchiot spent three seasons at the club, winning the Eredivisie in 1998 and the KNVB Cup in 1998 and 1999. In the summer of 1999, he signed a three-year contract with Chelsea under the Bosman ruling. Chelsea For most of his first season at the club, Melchiot did not feature in the first team due to injuries. However, on 22 April 2000, following an injury to Albert Ferrer, he finally made his debut in a 1–1 draw against Middlesbrough. A month later he played in the 2000 FA Cup Final against Aston Villa where he played a major role in helping Chelsea win the match. At the start of the 2000–01 season, Melchiot scored his first goal for Chelsea in a 2–0 win against Manchester United in the 2000 FA Charity Shield. His second goal was also against Manchester United, as he helped his team to a memorable 3–0 win at Old Trafford in the 2001–02 season. Under the management of Claudio Ranieri, He quickly established himself as the club's first-choice right-back, and was soon rewarded with a contract extension, keeping him at the club until 2004. Birmingham City Melchiot signed for Birmingham City on a three-year contract in July 2004, and made his debut in a 1–1 draw against Portsmouth. In his second season, Birmingham found themselves in a relegation battle. He soon became a scapegoat for the club's poor performances, and was booed by his own supporters in a match against Tottenham Hotspur. Birmingham were finally relegated in April 2006 after a 0–0 draw with Newcastle United. He played his last game for Birmingham in their 1–0