Keano Vanrafelghem

Keano Vanrafelghem

Vanrafelghem in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth	(2003-08-02) 2 August 2003 (age 22)
Place of birth	Torhout, Belgium
Height	5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Mechelen
Number	27
Youth career
	Club Brugge
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2020–2023	Club NXT	12	(0)
2023–2025	Patro Eisden	19	(8)
2023–2024	→ Sporting Hasselt (loan)	32	(19)
2025–	Mechelen	11	(1)
International career‡
2018	Belgium U15	1	(0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 11:23, 2 October 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 8 May 2018

Keano Vanrafelghem (born 2 August 2003) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Belgian Pro League club Mechelen.

Club career

Vanrafelghem began his career at the youth academy of Club Brugge. On 22 August 2020, he made his debut for Brugge's reserve side, Club NXT in the Belgian First Division B against RWDM47. He came on as an 85th-minute substitute as NXT lost 2–0. ^[1]

On 31 January 2023, Vanrafelghem signed with Patro Eisden. ^[2] On 31 August 2023, he was loaned to Sporting Hasselt. ^[3]

On 16 January 2025, Vanrafelghem joined Mechelen on a four-and-a-half-year deal. ^[4] He debuted ten days later, coming on at half-time in a 4–1 league defeat away to Anderlecht. ^[5] On 29 March, he scored his first goal for the club, making it 2–2 in an away draw at Standard Liège. ^[6] In May, he suffered an abdominal/adductor injury that curtailed his season, and in July the club announced he would undergo surgery, ruling him out for several months; the operation was performed successfully in early August. ^{[7] [8] [9]}

Career statistics

As of match played 26 April 2025 ^[10]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Club NXT	2020–21	1B Pro League	10	0	—		—		10	0
	2021–22	1B Pro League	0	0	—		—		0	0
	2022–23	Challenger Pro League	2	0	—		—		2	0
	Total		12	0	—		—		12	0
Patro Eisden	2022–23	National Division 1	4	0	0	0	—		4	0
	2023–24	Challenger Pro League	0	0	0	0	—		0	0
	2024–25	Challenger Pro League	15	8	3	0	—		18	8
	Total		19	8	3	0	—		22	8
Sporting Hasselt (loan)	2023–24	Belgian Division 2	32	19	0	0	—		32	19
Mechelen	2024–25	Belgian Pro League	11	1	—		—		11	1
Career total			74	28	3	0	0	0	77	28

References

1. "RWDM 2–0 Club NXT". Soccerway.
2. "Welkom Keano Vanrafelghem!" (in Dutch). Patro Eisden. 1 February 2023. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
3. "Vanrafelghem, Verburgh en Cuypers op huurbasis naar Sporting Hasselt" [Vanrafelghem, Verburgh and Cuypers on loan to Sporting Hasselt] (in Dutch). Patro Eisden. 31 August 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
4. "Geel-rood verwelkomt Keano 'Kiki' Vanrafelghem" [Yellow-red welcomes Keano 'Kiki' Vanrafelghem] (in Dutch). K.V. Mechelen. 16 January 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
5. "Anderlecht 4–1 KV Mechelen". ESPN. 26 January 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
6. "Standard Liège 2–2 KV Mechelen". ESPN. 29 March 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
7. "KV Mechelen: toch operatie voor Vanrafelghem". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Dutch). 31 July 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
8. "KV Mechelen komt met bijzonder slecht nieuws over Keano Vanrafelghem". Voetbalkrant (in Dutch). 31 July 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
9. "Operatie voor Kiki Vanrafelghem: maanden out". VoetbalPrimeur.be (in Dutch). 3 August 2025. Retrieved 2 October 2025.
10. Keano Vanrafelghem at Soccerway

External links

• Profile at the Belgian First Division B website