Léon Bergsma (born 25 January 1997) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Eerste Divisie club Cambuur.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 January 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cambuur | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Blauw-Wit | |||
| –2005 | RKSV Pancratius | ||
| 2005–2015 | Ajax | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2018 | Jong Ajax | 61 | (1) |
| 2018–2020 | Jong AZ | 34 | (1) |
| 2018–2020 | AZ | 2 | (0) |
| 2020 | → Den Bosch (loan) | 4 | (1) |
| 2020–2022 | FC Aarau | 72 | (5) |
| 2022– | Cambuur | 52 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2012 | Netherlands U15 | 3 | (1) |
| 2014 | Netherlands U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | Netherlands U20 | 8 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:21, 11 May 2024 (UTC) | |||
Club career
editJong Ajax
editBergsma is a product of the youth system at Ajax, having joined the club at the age of eight after initially playing youth football for Blauw-Wit and RKSV Pancratius.[3] On 8 May 2015, he made his professional debut for Jong Ajax in an Eerste Divisie match against TOP Oss, replacing Leeroy Owusu in the 88th minute.[4] In April 2016, Bergsma signed his first contract with Ajax, which tied him to the club until 2018.[5] Ahead of the 2016–17 season, Bergsma officially moved up from the under-19 team to the squad of Jong Ajax. He scored his first professional goal on 14 April 2017, heading home Noa Lang's corner-kick as Jong Ajax beat Dordrecht 1–0.[6] With Bergsma as captain, Jong Ajax won the Eerste Divisie title in the 2017–18 season.[7]
AZ
editOn 21 June 2018, Bergsma moved to AZ on a free transfer, and signed a four-year deal.[8] He made his debut for the club on 12 August in a 5–0 victory against NAC Breda, replacing Ron Vlaar in the 81st minute.[9][10] He made only three appearances for AZ's first team, as he primarily featured for their reserves, Jong AZ in the Eerste Divisie.[2]
Loan to Den Bosch
editBergsma joined Eerste Divisie club Den Bosch on a six-month loan on 31 January 2020.[11] He made only four appearances for the club, as the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) decided to cancel the remainder of the season due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
FC Aarau
editIn August 2020, Bergsma signed with Swiss club FC Aarau.[13] The transfer came about in an unusual manner. During a chance meeting in Frankfurt, a stadium technician named Dany Bürge met the Dutch businessman Rob Been Jr., who had previously served as the director of Ajax. Several months later, Bürge visited Been in the Netherlands, where during a dinner conversation, he mentioned that FC Aarau was in need of a centre-back. Been, having an idea, immediately contacted Bergsma, who expressed interest. Bürge then facilitated a connection between Bergsma and FC Aarau's sports director, Sandro Burki. Following several trial training sessions, FC Aarau decided to sign Bergsma.[14][15]
Bergsma made his competitive debut for the club, starting in a Swiss Cup second-round match against FC Wil on 12 September 2020, where Aarau advanced after penalty shoot-out.[16] One week later, he made his debut in the Swiss Challenge League, also against FC Wil, as Aarau lost 3–1 at home.[17] He remained a starter through two seasons with Aarau, scoring six goals in 78 total appearances.[2]
Cambuur
editOn 28 July 2022, Bergsma returned to the Netherlands and signed a three-year contract with Eredivisie club Cambuur.[18] He made his debut for the club on 6 August, the first matchday of the season, replacing Floris Smand in the second half of a 2–0 home loss to Excelsior.[19][20] He soon established himself as a starter at centre-back, as Cambuur suffered relegation from the Eredivisie at the end of the season.suffered relegation from the Eredivisie.[21]
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 20 April 2024[2]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Jong Ajax | 2014–15 | Eerste Divisie | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2015–16 | Eerste Divisie | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17 | Eerste Divisie | 27 | 1 | — | — | — | 27 | 1 | ||||
| 2017–18 | Eerste Divisie | 33 | 0 | — | — | — | 33 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 61 | 1 | — | — | — | 61 | 1 | |||||
| AZ | 2018–19 | Eredivisie | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |
| Jong AZ | 2018–19 | Eerste Divisie | 24 | 1 | — | — | — | 24 | 1 | |||
| 2019–20 | Eerste Divisie | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 34 | 1 | — | — | — | 34 | 1 | |||||
| Den Bosch (loan) | 2019–20 | Eerste Divisie | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| FC Aarau | 2020–21 | Challenge League | 35 | 3 | 4 | 1 | — | — | 39 | 4 | ||
| 2021–22 | Challenge League | 35 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 2 | |||
| 2022–23 | Challenge League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Total | 72 | 5 | 6 | 1 | — | — | 78 | 6 | ||||
| Cambuur | 2022–23 | Eredivisie | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Eerste Divisie | 28 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 0 | |||
| Total | 52 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 56 | 6 | ||||
| Career total | 225 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 236 | 7 | ||
Honours
editJong Ajax
References
edit- ^ "Leon Bergsma". SC Cambuur (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ a b c d Léon Bergsma at Soccerway
- ^ "Nieuw avontuur voor Bergsma: verdediger aan de slag in Zwitserland". NH Nieuws (in Dutch). 2 September 2020. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
- ^ "Ajax II vs. TOP Oss 1–1: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ "Ajax contracteert Leon Bergsma". Ajax (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 26 August 2016.
- ^ "Bergsma schenkt Jong Ajax zege op Dordrecht". ajaxlife.nl (in Dutch). 15 April 2017. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ a b Willemsen, Coen (28 April 2018). "Jong Ajax kampioen Jupiler League". KNVB (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 25 January 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
- ^ "Jong Ajax-aanvoerder Bergsma vervolgt loopbaan bij AZ". NU.nl (in Dutch). 21 June 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "AZ vs. NAC Breda 5–0: Summary". Soccerway. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ Witlox, Malini (12 August 2018). "NAC Breda verliest met 5-0 van AZ, er wacht trainer Mitchell van der Gaag een flinke klus". Omroep Brabant (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 13 June 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ Siekman, Tim (31 January 2020). "'Talentvolle' Leon Bergsma vindt na Ajax en AZ derde werkgever". Voetbalzone (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "KNVB beslist: Ajax nummer één, geen promotie/degradatie". NOS (in Dutch). 24 April 2020. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "Léon Bergsma: Kein Leben in der Fussball-Bubble". FC Aarau (in German). 2 November 2020. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "Dany Bürge und die unglaubliche Bergsma-Geschichte". FC Aarau Fan-Podcast (in German). 19 August 2021. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "'Ajax-stempel' helpt Bergsma in zoektocht naar buitenlands avontuur". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 8 September 2020. Archived from the original on 8 April 2024. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "Aarau vs. Wil 0–0: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ Lombardi, Gianluca (19 September 2020). "Revanche geglückt – der FC Wil ringt Aarau mit 3:1 nieder". St. Galler Tagblatt (in German). Archived from the original on 18 April 2021. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "Leon Bergsma voor drie seizoenen naar SC Cambuur". SC Cambuur (in Dutch). 28 July 2022. Archived from the original on 24 September 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "Cambuur vs. Excelsior 0–2: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
- ^ "Terugkeer Henk de Jong bij Cambuur overschaduwd door nederlaag tegen Excelsior". NOS (in Dutch). 6 August 2022. Archived from the original on 4 January 2023. Retrieved 8 April 2024.
- ^ "SC Cambuur degradeert na twee seizoenen naar de Keuken Kampioen Divisie". Eredivisie (in Dutch). 6 May 2023. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 23 March 2024.