Danique Kerkdijk

Danique Kerkdijk (born 1 May 1996) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defender for Eredivisie club Twente.[1]

Danique Kerkdijk
Kerkdijk in 2018
Personal information
Date of birth (1996-05-01) 1 May 1996 (age 28)
Place of birthOlst, Netherlands
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)Centre-back
Team information
Current team
Twente
Number3
Youth career
SC Overwetering
2010–2013Twente
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2013–2017Twente88(5)
2017–2019Bristol City37(2)
2019–2022Brighton & Hove Albion53(1)
2022–Twente17(1)
International career
2011Netherlands U153(0)
2014–2015Netherlands U1920(0)
2015–2020Netherlands18(0)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing the  Netherlands
FIFA Women's World Cup
Runner-up2019 France
UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
Winner2014 Norway
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 February 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 December 2020

Club career

Kerkdijk playing for FC Twente in a match against Paris Saint-Germain at the 2014–15 UEFA Women's Champions League on 14 October 2014

Her career begins at the youth teams of amateur club SC Overwetering in Olst. During the 2009–10 season, she was part of a training group of under-14 age players, training at both SC Overwetering and FC Twente. A season later, she became a FC Twente youth player; by 2012 she reached the club first team (which plays in the BeNe League / Eredivisie). By 2013 she started playing matches regularly for the first team and in 2014 she signed her first professional contract with the club.[2] Over the following years at the club she won many titles,[3] played for them in 88 games and scored five times.[4]Following the end of the 2016–17 season for FC Twente, she signed for Bristol City, who play in the English FA WSL 1 league. At the announcement she said: "I was really impressed at the club's vision for the future, I believe this is the best place for me to grow and develop as a player."[4] She made her debut for the team in the 6–0 defeat against reigning champions Chelsea L.F.C. in September 2017. Kerkdijk expressed the hope that the increased level of training at Bristol compared to Twente would result in continued call ups for the national team.[5]

On 1 June 2019 Danique signed for WSL side Brighton & Hove Albion.[6]

After five years in England she returned to the Netherlands to play for Twente again.

International career

Kerkdijk progressed through the Netherlands national team youth system, she won the 2014 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship,[7] before arriving at the senior team.

She debuted for the senior team on 17 September 2015, in an 8–0 friendly win over Belarus.[8][9]

In April 2015, it was announced that Kerkdijk was one of seven FC Twente players named for the initial Dutch team for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.[10] She was cut from the squad when it was reduced from 35 to 23 players in the following month.[11]

Honours

FC Twente

*During the BeNe League period (2012 to 2015), the highest placed Dutch team is considered as national champion by the Royal Dutch Football Association.[12]

Netherlands U19

Netherlands

References

External links