Michael de Leeuw

In this Dutch name, the surname is de Leeuw, not Leeuw.

Michael de Leeuw

De Leeuw with Chicago Fire in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Michael Jeroen Maarten Michiel de Leeuw
Date of birth	(1986-10-07) 7 October 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Goirle, Netherlands
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
	DWC
	RKTVV Tilburg
2007–2009	Willem II
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2011	Veendam	67	(38)
2011–2012	De Graafschap	33	(10)
2012–2016	Groningen	111	(48)
2016–2018	Chicago Fire	57	(12)
2019–2021	Emmen	71	(25)
2021–2022	Groningen	31	(4)
2022–2024	Willem II	61	(10)
2024–2025	Cambuur	27	(5)
Total		456	(137)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Michael Jeroen Maarten Michiel de Leeuw (born 7 October 1986) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a forward. ^[1]

Career

Born in Goirle, De Leeuw began his career at amateur clubs DWC and RKTVV before joining the youth department of Willem II. He never broke through to the first team, and therefore chose to play for BV Veendam in the Dutch second division.

Veendam

De Leeuw was placed as a striker in his first year for Veendam, and he was an immediate success, scoring 25 goals in 36 league matches. At the end of the year, he won the topscorer award and the award for 'Talent of the Year', for the most talented player of the season. ^[2] He was chased by several clubs in the Eredivisie and clubs abroad, but in the end chose to stay in Veendam. ^{[3] [4]}

Groningen

On 22 May 2012, FC Groningen announced that they had signed De Leeuw. He helped the club win the KNVB Cup in 2014–15 against defending champions PEC Zwolle. It was their first major trophy and they qualified for the UEFA Europa League. ^{[5] [6]}

Chicago Fire

On 17 May 2016, the Chicago Fire announced they have signed De Leeuw to a three-year deal through 2018 with a club option for 2019. ^[7]

In his first season with Chicago, De Leeuw contributed seven goals and three assists across 17 games. In his second season with Chicago, de Leeuw's role switched to supporting striker behind Nemanja Nikolić, who led the league in scoring in 2017. In his new role, De Leeuw contributed a career high eight assists along with three goals. His season was cut short by a ruptured ACL injury suffered against New York City FC on 30 September 2017. ^[8] De Leeuw was released by Chicago at the end of their 2018 season. ^[9]

Emmen

On 31 December 2018, De Leeuw signed a one-and-a-half-year deal with FC Emmen with an option for an additional year. ^[10]

Return to Groningen

On 26 March 2021, De Leeuw returned to Groningen when he signed a contract for the 2021–22 season. ^[11] On 26 October, he scored his first goal back with the team in a 2–0 victory over AZ. ^[12]

Return to Willem II

On 10 August 2022, De Leeuw returned to his youth club Willem II on a two-year contract. ^[13] He helped the Tricolores to the Eerste Divisie title in the 2023–24 season, which meant promotion back to the Eredivisie. ^[14]

Cambuur

On 11 June 2024, De Leeuw signed a one-year contract with Cambuur. ^[15] In May 2025, he announced his retirement from professional football, concluding a 16-year playing career. ^[16] His final appearance came in a 1–1 draw against Den Bosch in the promotion play-offs, which resulted in a 2–1 aggregate defeat. ^[17] De Leeuw was brought on in the 113th minute. ^[18]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ^[1]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
BV Veendam	2009–10	Eerste Divisie	36	25	1	0	0	0	—		37	25
	2010–11	Eerste Divisie	31	13	2	0	0	0	1 [a]	1	34	14
	Total		67	38	3	0	0	0	1	1	71	39
De Graafschap	2011–12	Eredivisie	33	10	2	1	0	0	2 [a]	0	37	11
Groningen	2012–13	Eredivisie	30	11	3	1	0	0	2 [b]	0	35	12
	2013–14	Eredivisie	24	9	3	0	0	0	4 [b]	0	31	9
	2014–15	Eredivisie	28	17	4	7	1 [c]	0	0	0	33	24
	2015–16	Eredivisie	27	9	3	1	4 [c]	0	2 [d]	0	34	10
	Total		109	46	13	9	5	0	8	0	135	55
Chicago Fire	2016	MLS	18	7	2	1	0	0	0	0	20	8
	2017	MLS	30	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	31	3
	2018	MLS	9	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	2
	Total		57	12	3	1	0	0	0	0	60	13
Emmen	2018–19	Eredivisie	16	3	0	0	—		—		16	3
	2019–20	Eredivisie	26	9	1	1	—		—		27	10
	2020–21	Eredivisie	29	13	2	2	—		1 [a]	0	32	15
	Total		71	25	3	3	—		1	0	75	28
Groningen	2021–22	Eredivisie	31	4	2	1	—		—		33	5
Willem II	2022–23	Eerste Divisie	33	7	1	0	—		0	0	34	7
	2023–24	Eerste Divisie	28	3	2	0	—		—		30	3
	Total		61	10	3	0	—		0	0	64	10
Cambuur	2024–25	Eerste Divisie	27	5	2	0	—		2 [a]	0	29	5
Career total			456	137	31	15	5	0	14	1	506	153

1. Appearance(s) in Eredivisie promotion/relegation playoffs
2. Appearances in Eredivisie European play-offs
3. Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
4. One appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield, one appearance in Eredivisie European play-offs

Honours

Groningen

• KNVB Cup: 2014–15

Willem II

• Eerste Divisie: 2023–24 ^[14]

Individual

• Eredivisie Team of the Month: March 2022 ^[19]

References

1. Michael de Leeuw at WorldFootball.net
2. "De Leeuw en De Vries gelauwerd in Jupiler League". VI. 27 April 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
3. "De Leeuw gewilde prooi bij verschillende clubs". VI. 4 May 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
4. "The top scorer in the Dutch Eerste Divisie has not yet been snapped up". IMScouting. 19 August 2010. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
5. "Groningen claim first trophy with KNVB Cup triumph". Goal.com. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
6. "PEC Zwolle vs. Groningen - 3 May 2015 - Soccerway". Za.soccerway.com. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
7. "Chicago Fire Acquire Dutch Forward Michael de Leeuw". Chicago: Chicago Fire Soccer Club. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
8. "Michael de Leeuw". Chicago Fire. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
9. "Chicago Fire Soccer Club Exercises Contract Options on Six Players". Chicago-Fire.com. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
10. "Welkom, Michael de Leeuw!". FC Emmen (in Dutch). 31 December 2018. Archived from the original on 31 December 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
11. "FC Groningen haalt De Leeuw terug - FC Groningen". www.fcgroningen.nl. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
12. "FC Groningen smaakt eindelijk weer eens zoet van overwinning na wereldgoal Cyril Ngonge en eerste treffer Michael de Leeuw". Dagblad van het Noorden (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 October 2021.
13. "Terug in Tilburg: Michael de Leeuw" (in Dutch). Willem II. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
14. Voskamp, Leon (10 May 2024). "Willem II is kampioen, supporters bestormen het veld". Omroep Brabant (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
15. "Michael de Leeuw voor één seizoen naar SC Cambuur" (in Dutch). SC Cambuur. 11 June 2024.
16. Ploeg, Jonathan (8 May 2025). "Michael de Leeuw (38) zet bij SC Cambuur een punt achter zijn rijke spelersloopbaan" [Michael de Leeuw (38) ends his distinguished playing career at SC Cambuur]. Leeuwarder Courant (in Dutch). Retrieved 19 June 2025.
17. Janssen, Ralph (17 May 2025). "Michael de Leeuw (38) stopt met voetballen en gaat aan de slag in de Eredivisie" [Michael de Leeuw (38) retires from football and takes up new role in the Eredivisie]. FCUpdate.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 17 May 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
18. "SC Cambuur – FC Den Bosch 1:1 (Playoffs Eredivisie 2024/2025 Relegation, 1. Round)". WorldFootball.net. HEIM:SPIEL. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
19. "FC Twente is the main provider for the Eredivisie team of the month". eredivisie.eu. 1 April 2022.

External links

• Michael de Leeuw at Voetbal International (in Dutch) – Archived 2016-02-16 at the Wayback Machine
• Michael de Leeuw at Chicago Fire Soccer Club