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
Team information
Current team
 Cambuur
Number 19
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– Cambuur 0 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:06, 11 July 2024 (UTC)

Michael Jeroen Maarten Michiel de Leeuw (born 7 October 1986) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for Eerste Divisie club Cambuur.[1]

Career

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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

[edit]

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]

Career statistics

[edit]
As of match played on 23 July 2020
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
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 31 13 2 0 0 0 1 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 0 37 11
Groningen 2012–13 Eredivisie 30 11 3 1 0 0 2 0 35 12
2013–14 24 9 3 0 0 0 4 0 31 9
2014–15 28 17 4 7 1 0 0 0 33 24
2015–16 27 9 3 1 3 0 1 0 34 10
Total 109 46 13 9 4 0 7 0 133 55
Chicago Fire 2016 MLS 18 7 2 1 0 0 0 0 20 8
2017 30 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 31 3
2018 9 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 2
Total 57 12 3 1 0 0 0 0 60 13
FC Emmen 2018–19 Eredivisie 16 3 0 0 – – 16 3
2019–20 26 9 1 1 – – 27 10
Total 42 12 1 1 0 0 0 0 43 13
Career total 308 118 22 12 4 0 10 1 344 131

Honours

[edit]

Groningen

Willem II

Individual

References

[edit]
  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. ^ a b 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. ^ "FC Twente is the main provider for the Eredivisie team of the month". eredivisie.eu. 1 April 2022.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_de_Leeuw&oldid=1235964549"