Lion Kaak

Lion Kaak
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-06-26) 26 June 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Hengelo, Netherlands
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 De Graafschap
Number 6
Youth career
Pax Hengelo
2001–2009 De Graafschap
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2012 De Graafschap 11 (0)
2012–2013 AGOVV 13 (0)
2013 Go Ahead Eagles 5 (0)
2013–2014 Valencia B 6 (0)
2014–2015 Achilles '29 19 (0)
2015–2017 De Graafschap 42 (0)
2017–2022 TOP Oss 161 (4)
2022– De Graafschap 44 (0)
International career
2007 Netherlands U16 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11:42, 2 November 2024 (UTC)

Lion Kaak (born 26 June 1991) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eerste Divisie club De Graafschap.

Club career

[edit]

Kaak played as a youth for Pax Hengelo and then joined local Eredivisie side De Graafschap in 2001.[1] He progressed through the youth system until he was promoted to the first team in 2009. Two years later, Kaak made his professional debut for the club, on 13 March 2011 in a home match against ADO Den Haag, where he replaced Gregor Breinburg.[2]

In June 2012, Kaak signed a two-year contract with AGOVV.[3] Six months later, in January 2013, the club went bankrupt and he joined Go Ahead Eagles on a free until the end of the season.[4][5] In the summer of 2013, he trained with his former club, De Graafschap. In July 2013, Kaak signed with Spanish club Valencia CF Mestalla, the reserve team of Valencia CF.[6][7] He also trained several times with the Valencia first team and on the last matchday of the 2013–14 season, he sat on the bench.[8][9] However, he did not make an appearance.

In 2014, he returned to the Netherlands, where he began playing for second-tier Eerste Divisie club Achilles '29.[10] In the first league match on 9 August against Jong PSV (0–2 away loss), Kaak made his debut in the starting lineup,[11] where he would remain in the following months. On 1 December, he provided an assist from a corner kick to Mehmet Dingil against FC Volendam.[12] Because he played for Achilles '29 on an amateur basis, he was able to sign on a free transfer with his childhood club, De Graafschap, in January 2015, on a one-and-a-half-year contract.[13] On 27 January 2015, Kaak made his official return to the club as a 83rd-minute substitute in a 2–0 away win over SC Telstar.[14]

In the summer of 2017, Kaak moved to FC Oss, which became TOP Oss from 1 July 2018.[15][16] In 2019, he signed a contract extension, which would keep him in Oss until 2022.[17]

On 20 June 2022, De Graafschap announced that Kaak would return to the club from the 2022–23 season, his third spell with the club.[18]

International career

[edit]

Kaak has represented the Netherlands at under-16 level, gaining his first cap as a starter in a friendly against Italy on 14 March 2007, before being replaced by Cayfano Latupeirissa in the 58th minute of a 2–1 loss.[19]

Style of play

[edit]

Kaak is right-footed.[20] He typically plays as a defensive midfielder.[21] During his time with TOP Oss, he has been described as a strong personality on the pitch who is "guarding the standards, values and mentality of the club".[17]

Career statistics

[edit]
As of match played 29 October 2024[22]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
De Graafschap 2009–10 Eerste Divisie 0 0 3 0 — 3 0
2010–11 Eredivisie 2 0 0 0 — 2 0
2011–12 Eredivisie 9 0 1 0 2[a] 0 12 0
Total 11 0 4 0 2 0 17 0
AGOVV 2012–13 Eerste Divisie 13 0 0 0 — 13 0
Go Ahead Eagles 2012–13 Eerste Divisie 5 0 0 0 4[a] 0 9 0
Valencia B 2013–14 Segunda División B 8 0 0 0 — 8 0
Achilles '29 2014–15 Eerste Divisie 19 0 1 0 — 20 0
De Graafschap 2014–15 Eerste Divisie 11 0 0 0 3[a] 0 2 0
2015–16 Eredivisie 14 0 0 0 0 0 14 0
2016–17 Eerste Divisie 17 0 1 0 — 18 0
Total 42 1 1 0 3 0 46 1
TOP Oss 2017–18 Eerste Divisie 27 0 1 0 — 28 0
2018–19 Eerste Divisie 36 0 2 0 2[a] 0 40 0
2019–20 Eerste Divisie 28 2 3 0 — 31 2
2020–21 Eerste Divisie 35 1 0 0 — 35 1
2021–22 Eerste Divisie 35 1 1 0 — 36 1
Total 161 4 7 0 2 0 170 3
De Graafschap 2022–23 Eerste Divisie 20 0 1 0 — 21 0
2023–24 Eerste Divisie 22 0 2 0 2[a] 0 26 0
2024–25 Eerste Divisie 2 0 1 0 — 3 0
Total 44 0 4 0 2 0 50 0
Career total 303 5 18 0 13 0 334 4
  1. ^ a b c d e Appearances in the Eredivisie promotion/relegation play-offs

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Eigen volk komt een keer eerst op de Vijverberg" (in Dutch). de Volkskrant. 14 March 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Debutant Kaak: "Dit is echt top"". www.soccernews.nl (in Dutch). 14 March 2011. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  3. ^ Dusseldorp, Wout (18 June 2012). "Lion Kaak gaat naar AGOVV" (in Dutch). De Gelderlander. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  4. ^ "AGOVV failliet verklaard" (in Dutch). Algemeen Dagblad. 8 January 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Clubloze Kaak maakt seizoen af bij Go Ahead". www.fcupdate.nl (in Dutch). 22 February 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Lion Kaak tekent contract bij Valencia" (in Dutch). RTV Oost. 30 July 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  7. ^ Torres, David (26 June 2019). "Todos los holandeses de la historia del Valencia CF" (in Spanish). El Desmarque. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  8. ^ Arastell, J.M. (16 May 2014). "Lion Kaak es la sorpresa para el partido ante el Celta" (in Spanish). Super Deporte. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  9. ^ "Valencia vs. Celta Vigo - 17 May 2014". int.soccerway.com. Perform Group. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  10. ^ Loef, Marco (3 August 2014). "Achilles'29 legt Lion Kaak vast" (in Dutch). Omroep Gelderland. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  11. ^ Blokland, Bastiaan (9 August 2014). "Achilles verliest seizoensopening van Jong PSV" (in Dutch). Omroep Gelderland. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  12. ^ "Hoofdrol Zivkovic, Sparta morst in Limburg" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 1 December 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  13. ^ "Lion Kaak terug naar De Graafschap" (in Dutch). De Graafschap. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  14. ^ "Telstar vs. De Graafschap - 27 January 2015". int.soccerway.com. Perform Group. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  15. ^ "Lion Kaak voor twee seizoenen naar FC Oss" (in Dutch). Regio8. 2 June 2017. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  16. ^ "FC Oss wordt weer TOP Oss!". www.fcoss.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  17. ^ a b Daniels, Daan (22 March 2019). "Lion Kaak drie jaar langer bij TOP Oss" (in Dutch). Brabants Dagblad. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  18. ^ "Middenvelder Lion Kaak keert terug bij De Graafschap". De Graafschap (in Dutch). 20 June 2022. Archived from the original on 22 June 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  19. ^ "Italië O16 – Nederland O16". OnsOranje. Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  20. ^ "Lion Kaak on Instagram". instagram.com. 18 April 2017. Samen alles geven voor de club!#mooiste club van NL!!!
  21. ^ "Lion Kaak voor twee seizoenen naar FC Oss | REGIO8". regio8.nl (in Dutch). 2 June 2017.
  22. ^ "L. Kaak: Summary". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lion_Kaak&oldid=1254943303"