Matte Smets

Last updated

Matte Smets
Personal information
Date of birth (2004-01-04) 4 January 2004 (age 20)
Place of birth Bilzen, Belgium
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Centre-back,
Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
Genk
Number 6
Youth career
2009–2010 Bilzerse VV
2010–2018 Genk
2018–2022 Sint-Truiden
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2022–2024 Sint-Truiden 54 (0)
2024– Genk 13 (0)
International career
2023 Belgium U20 2 (0)
2024– Belgium U21 2 (1)
2024– Belgium 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 November 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2024

Matte Smets (born 4 January 2004) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Belgian Pro League club Genk and the Belgium national team.

Contents

Club career

Smets began playing football with Bilzerse, where his father was a former player. He shortly after moved to Genk in 2010 where he stayed for 8 years. [1] In 2018, he moved to the youth academy of Sint-Truiden where he finished his development. On 27 May 2022, he signed his first professional contract with the club. [2] He made his senior and professional debut with Sint-Truiden as a substitute in a 2–0 Belgian First Division A loss to Royal Antwerp on 7 October 2022. [3]

Originally a defensive midfielder, Smets was developed into a centre-back in the middle of a three-man defense. [4] On 6 July 2023, he extended his contract with Sint-Truiden until 2026. [5]

After finishing an impressive ninth in the 2023-24 Belgian Pro League season under coach Thorsten Fink, coming close to qualifying for the title play-offs, Smets returned to Racing Genk, following Fink's move there. [6] [7]

The same transfer window had seen interest from Gent and Watford. [8] [9] [10]

International career

Smets is a youth international for Belgium, having played for the Belgium U20s in November 2023. [11]

Smets scored on his debut for the Belgium U21s, opening the scoring in a 2-2 draw with Morocco U23s on 4 June 2024. [12]

In October 2024 he was named in the senior Belgium squad for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League matches against Italy and France on 10 and 14 October 2024 respectively, remaining on the bench for both games. [13]

He made his debut on 17 November 2024 in a Nations League game against Israel at the Bozsik Aréna in Hungary. He substituted Zeno Debast at half-time, as Israel won 1–0. [14]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 10 November 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sint-Truidense 2022–23 Belgian Pro League 14020160
2023–24 Belgian Pro League40020420
Total54040580
Genk 2024–25 Belgian Pro League1301000140
Career total670500000720

    Related Research Articles

    Wouter Vrancken is a Belgian football manager and a former defensive midfielder. He is the head coach of Gent after previous making his name at KV Mechelen and Genk.

    The 2009–10 season of the Belgian Pro League was the 107th season of top-tier football in Belgium. The season began on 31 July 2009 with the first matches of the regular season, and ended in May 2010 with the last matches of the playoff round. Standard Liège were the defending champions.

    The 2011–12 season of the Belgian Pro League was the 109th season of top-tier football in Belgium. It began on 29 July 2011 with the first match of the regular season and ended in May 2012 with the last matches of the playoff rounds. The defending champions were Genk, who this time ended in third position, while the competition was won by Anderlecht, who clenched the title after a 1–1 draw against Club Brugge with two games left to play in the Championship Playoff.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Stef Peeters</span> Belgian footballer (born 1992)

    Stef Peeters is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Challenger Pro League club Patro Eisden. He formerly played for Genk, Sparta Rotterdam, MVV, Sint-Truiden, Cercle Brugge and Eupen.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Felice Mazzù</span> Belgian football manager (born 1966)

    Felice Mazzù is a Belgian professional football manager who is the head coach of Sint-Truiden.

    The 2019–20 Belgian First Division A was the 117th season of top-tier football in Belgium.

    The 2020–21 Belgian First Division A was the 118th season of top-tier football in Belgium. As part of a proposal by the Jupiler Pro League's board of directors accepted by the General Assembly on 15 May 2020, the 2020–21 season would involve shortened playoffs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Only the top four teams would play for the title, while teams five through eight would play for the remaining ticket into Europe. The league fixtures were announced on 8 July 2020. Club Brugge successfully defended their title from the previous season, finishing level on points in the title play-offs with Racing Genk, as regular season runners-up Royal Antwerp's challenge faded.

    Dylan Vanwelkenhuysen is a Belgian footballer who plays for K.V.K. Tienen-Hageland and works for Nike in his home country.

    Maarten Vandevoordt is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig.

    Jarne Steuckers is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Belgian Pro League club Genk.

    Tuur Rommens is a Belgian professional footballer who plays for Westerlo.

    Malick Martin Fofana is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Ligue 1 club Lyon and the Belgium national team.

    The 2022–23 Sint-Truidense V.V. season was the club's 99th season in existence and the eighth consecutive season in the top flight of Belgian football. In addition to the domestic league, Sint-Truiden participated in the season's edition of the Belgian Cup. The season covers the period from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.

    Rein Van Helden is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Belgian Pro League club Sint-Truiden.

    The 2023–24 Belgian Pro League was the 121st season of top-tier football in Belgium. Club Brugge were crowned champions for the 19th time in their history having come back from fourth at the start of the title play-offs. For the second time in three seasons, Union Saint-Gilloise finished top at the end of the regular season, but did not win the league.

    The 2024–25 Belgian Pro League is the 122nd season of top-tier football in Belgium.

    Kahveh Zahiroleslam is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker for Belgian Pro League club Sint-Truiden.

    Mathias Delorge-Knieper is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Gent.

    Ferre Slegers is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Dutch Eerste Divisie club MVV.

    Mike Louis Penders is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Genk. He will join Premier League club Chelsea in July 2025.

    References

    1. "STVV-jonkie Matte Smets is bezeten van het spelletje: "Als kleuter wilde ik maar één speelgoed: een bal"". www.hbvl.be. 10 January 2023.
    2. "Maak kennis met STVV-debutant Matte Smets: van net niet bij KRC Genk tot titularis op Stayen?". www.hbvl.be (in Flemish). 11 October 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
    3. "Antwerp herpakt zich na nederlaag tegen Kortrijk: Great Old klopt tienkoppig STVV met 2-0". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 7 October 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
    4. "De jonkie, de sterke kopper of de krachtpatser: wie vervangt geschorste Janssens in gehavende STVV-defensie?". www.hbvl.be. 3 February 2023.
    5. "STVV verlengt contract van jeugdproduct Matte Smets". Het Belang van Limburg. 6 July 2023.
    6. "Matte Smets hakt de knoop door en ruilt STVV in voor rivaal KRC Genk (Matte Smets makes the decision and swaps STVV for rival KRC Genk)". Sporza (in Dutch). 22 June 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
    7. "Matte Smets signs for four seasons at KRC Genk". KRC Genk . 22 June 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
    8. "KRC Genk praat met Matte Smets (STVV), maar er zijn veel kapers op de kust (KRC Genk is in talks with Matte Smets of STVV, but there are many interested parties)". Het Belang van Limburg. 7 June 2024.
    9. "Gent hoping to sign Sint-Truiden's young star". OneFootball. 7 June 2024.
    10. "Watford in picture to sign 20-year-old – Hornets in tussle for €2.25m-rated player". Sport Witness. 12 June 2024.
    11. "Matte Smets (19) van STVV is de enige tiener in Europa die élke minuut speelt: "Hij zou zo uit de Ajax-school kunnen komen"". www.gva.be. 6 December 2023.
    12. "Morocco U23 2-2 Belgium U21". Flashscore. 4 June 2024.
    13. "Geen De Bruyne en Lukaku bij Rode Duivels, wel selectie voor Fofana, Ngonge, Smets en Vandevoordt" [No De Bruyne and Lukaku at Red Devils, but selections for Fofana, Ngonge, Smets and Vandevoordt]. sporza. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
    14. "Israel v Belgium game report". ESPN. 17 November 2024.