Kees Sims

Last updated

Kees Sims
Personal information
Full name Kees Edward Smids Sims [1]
Date of birth (2003-03-27) 27 March 2003 (age 22) [1]
Place of birth Bracknell, England
Height 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) [1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 GAIS
Number 13
Youth career
–2019 Western Suburbs
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2019–2021 Western Suburbs 26 (0)
2019–2020 → Team Wellington (loan) 0 (0)
2020–2021 → Wellington Phoenix II (loan) 1 (0)
2022–2023 Ljungskile SK 43 (0)
2024– GAIS 9 (0)
International career‡
2023 New Zealand U20 4 (0)
2023– New Zealand U23 4 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 5 August 2025
‡ National team caps and goals as of 7 May 2024

Kees Edward Smids Sims (born 27 March 2003) is a New Zealand footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Swedish Allsvenskan side GAIS. Born in England, he represented New Zealand at youth international level. [2]

Contents

Club career

Sims made one appearance for Wellington Phoenix Reserves during the 2020-21 season, [3] making his debut on 6 February 2021 against Hamilton Wanderers AFC in the New Zealand Football Championship. [4] In 2021 Sims impresses playing for Western Suburbs FC in New Zealand’s Central League, playing every minute of every game. [5] [6]

Ljungskile SK

Sims moved to Sweden to join Ljungskile SK in January 2022, alongside two of his countrymen, Otto Ingham, and Robert Sabo. [7] [8] He was a substitute for the first fourteen games of the season but following an injury to first choice goalkeeper Oliver Bergman he made his debut against BK Olympic in July 2022, and kept his place for the remainder of the season. [9] Sims signed a new three-year contract with the club in September 2022. [10] During the off-season Sims trained with Premier League side Leicester City in January 2023. [11]

GAIS

On 31 January 2024, Sims was announced at GAIS on a three year contract. [12]

Despite being the primary backup to first-choice goalkeeper Mergim Krasniqi, [13] Sims made eight appearances for the club in Allsvenskan. He made his league debut in a 2–1 victory against Mjällby AIF. [14]

International career

Sims has been eligible to represent England, New Zealand and the Netherlands at international level.

Sims was called up by New Zealand under-23 national team to play China in March 2023. [15] He started that game and subsequently was named in the New Zealand squad for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup. [16]

On 9 July 2024, Sims was called up to the New Zealand U23s for the 2024 Summer Olympics. [17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™ SQUAD LIST: New Zealand (NZL)" (PDF). FIFA. 22 May 2023. p. 17. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  2. ↑ "Kees Sims". Soccerway. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  3. ↑ Robinson, Nick (9 March 2021). "The Premmy Files – Wellington Phoenix 2020-21 Season Review". theniche-cache.com. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  4. ↑ "WELLINGTON PHOENIX VS. HAMILTON WANDERERS 1-2". Soccerway. 6 February 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  5. ↑ "Top 20 players under 20 in the National League so far…". nzfootball.co.nz. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  6. ↑ "5 things to look out for in the South Central Series: Round 2". nzfootball.Co.nz. 12 November 2021. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  7. ↑ Weiefors, Erik (27 January 2023). "Ljungskile SK recruits trio from New Zealand" . Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "THREE MORE OLÉ PLAYERS HEAD TO EUROPE AFTER SIGNING PROFESSIONAL CONTRACTS WITH SWEDISH DIVISION 1 CLUB LJUNGSKILE SK". Olefootnallacademy.co.nz. 25 January 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
  9. ↑ Salinas, Nikolaj Jalamaa (14 October 2022). "Kees Sims – the goalkeeper promise living the dream". Ljungskilenyheter.se. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  10. ↑ "Kees Sims extends the contract with Ljungskile SK until 2025". Bohuslaningen.se. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  11. ↑ "Ljungskile SK's Kees Sims trained with Leicester City in the Premier League". Bohuslaningen. 22 January 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  12. ↑ "Målvakten Kees Sims är klar för GAIS". www.gais.se (in Swedish).
  13. ↑ "GAIS | A-laget". www.gais.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  14. ↑ "Matcher - Allsvenskan". allsvenskan.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  15. ↑ "Men's U-23 squad named for home games against China". 2 March 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  16. ↑ "Get to know the men's U20 team". 12 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
  17. ↑ "Men's Football Team Announced for Paris 2024". New Zealand Football. 9 July 2024.
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