Netherlands striker Pierre van Hooijdonk is suing his former team Nottingham Forest for over Stg£650,000, the English first division club said today.
Forest said on their official website that Van Hooijdonk hadissued a writ claiming the sum, which includes a loyalty bonus,that he says the club owes him following his transfer to VitesseArnhem in June 1999.
Van Hooijdonk earned the wrath of Forest fans when he wenton strike in August 1998, claiming the club had reneged on anagreement to let him leave.
The previous season the leggy Dutch international's goalshelped Forest to win promotion to the premier league.
But Van Hooijdonk failed to return from the Netherlandsafter a close-season break and missed the opening 11 games ofthe 1998-1999 campaign.
Forest eventually finished bottom of the table and wererelegated back to division one. Van Hooijdonk left Forest tojoin Vitesse in June 1999. He current plays for Feyenoord.
Forest said Van Hooijdonk refused to sign the settlementcontract they presented to him before his move to Vitesse andthe player later contacted the club to outline what he claimedhe was owed, including a loyalty bonus.
Forest say they will "vigorously defend" the claim and willargue that Van Hooijdonk damaged his own transfer value throughhis strike action.
"No player is ever entitled to a portion of a transfer fee,unless the clubs and player formalise an agreement in writing atthe time of the transfer," Forest finance director John Pellingsaid on the club's website.
"This was not the case with the transfer of Van Hooijdonk toVitesse.
"That he should also claim a loyalty bonus at the end of aseason in which he had gone on strike and made himselfunavailable for first-team matches or training beggars belief."
Van Hooijdonk finished last season as the Dutch league'ssecond highest goal scorer with 28 goals for Feyenoord.