Mats Deijl

Last updated

Mats Deijl
GAE - Ajax - 53464927346 (Mats Deijl).jpg
Deijl in 2024
Personal information
Date of birth (1997-07-15) 15 July 1997 (age 28)
Place of birth Vlaardingen, Netherlands
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Right-back
Team information
Current team
Go Ahead Eagles
Number 2
Youth career
2004–2006 MVV '27
2006–2010 WSC
2010–2014 RKC Waalwijk
2014–2015 Brabant United
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2016–2021 FC Den Bosch 108 (3)
2021– Go Ahead Eagles 132 (9)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17 August 2025

Mats Deijl (born 15 July 1997) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Eredivisie club Go Ahead Eagles.

Contents

Club career

He made his professional debut in the Eerste Divisie for FC Den Bosch on 16 December 2016 in a game against Fortuna Sittard [1] and was added to the Den Bosch first team squad a few weeks later. [2] On 4 January 2017, the club announced that Deijl had been permanently promoted to first team. [3]

On 16 June 2021, Deijl signed a three-year contract with recently promoted Eredivisie club Go Ahead Eagles. [4] He made his debut in the Eredivisie for the club on 13 August 2021 in a 1-0 home defeat against SC Heerenveen. [5]

In April 2025, he played and was the goalscorer for Go Ahead Eagles in the final of the KNVB Cup as the club won the trophy for the first time in their history, winning on penalties against AZ Alkmaar on 21 April 2025. The game had ended 1-1 in normal time after Deijl scored a 98th minute equalising penalty for his side after Peer Koopmeiners was penalised for a handball. He then also successfully scored the first penalty in the subsequent shoot-out. [6]

Personal life

Deijl was born in Vlaardingen, Netherlands. In December 2023, Deijl confirmed his Singapore (which is part of Malaya at the time) ancestry through his father's side. When asked about his Singapore heritage, Deijl stated, "Yes, really far away on my father's side. I don't even know how far". [7] However, due to FIFA rules, he cannot represent Malaysia in international football because the ancestry is through a great-grandparent rather than a grandparent. [8] [9]

Career statistics

As of match played 17 August 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague KNVB Cup EuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
FC Den Bosch 2016–17 Eerste Divisie 400040
2017–18 Eerste Divisie34110350
2018–19 Eerste Divisie19000190
2019–20 Eerste Divisie29210302
2020–21 Eerste Divisie22010230
Total1083301112
Go Ahead Eagles 2021–22 Eredivisie 32250372
2022–23 Eredivisie32230352
2023–24 Eredivisie321302 [a] 0371
2024–25 Eredivisie344522 [b] 0416
2025–26 Eredivisie2000001 [c] 030
Total1329162203015311
Career total24012192203026413
  1. Appearances in Conference League play-offs
  2. Appearances in UEFA Conference League
  3. Appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield

Honours

Go Ahead Eagles

References

  1. "Game Report by Soccerway". Soccerway. 16 December 2016.
  2. MATS DEIJL STROOMT DOOR NAAR EERSTE ELFTAL FC DEN BOSCH Archived 11 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine - FC Den Bosch (in Dutch)
  3. "Mats Deijl stroomt door naar eerste elftal FC Den Bosch". FC Den Bosch (in Dutch). 4 January 2017. Archived from the original on 11 January 2017.
  4. "Go Ahead Eagles versterkt selectie met verdediger Mats Deijl". RTV Oost (in Dutch). 16 June 2021.
  5. "GO AHEAD EAGLES VS. HEERENVEEN 0 - 1". Soccerway. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  6. "Go Ahead Eagles Win The KNVB Cup". Football-Oranje. 21 April 2025. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
  7. Suhaimi, Muhamad Ardie Putra (14 December 2023). "FAM perlu segera 'pancing' Mats Deijl". Kosmo Digital (in Malay). Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  8. "Deijl tak lepas sertai Harimau Malaya". Sinar Harian (in Malay). 1 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  9. Zahiid, Syed Jaymal (4 October 2024). "What is a heritage player, and why did Dutch player Mats Deijl fail to don the Harimau Malaya kit?". Malaymail.com. Retrieved 21 April 2025.