Mats Rits

Mats Rits
Rits with Club Brugge in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth (1993-07-18) 18 July 1993 (age 31)
Place of birth Antwerp, Belgium
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
 RSC Anderlecht
Number 23
Youth career
1999–2001 FC Walem
2001–2004 Lierse
2004–2009 Germinal Beerschot
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2011 Germinal Beerschot 23 (2)
2011–2013 Ajax 0 (0)
2013–2018 Mechelen 143 (16)
2018–2023 Club Brugge 151 (19)
2023– Anderlecht 47 (1)
International career‡
2008 Belgium U15 7 (3)
2008–2009 Belgium U16 12 (3)
2008–2009 Belgium U17 5 (1)
2011–2012 Belgium U19 6 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 October 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 11:12, 4 October 2018 (UTC)

Mats Rits (born 18 July 1993) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for RSC Anderlecht. He made his professional debut at age 16 at Germinal Beerschot, where he was formed. He then moved to the famed Ajax academy system before moving back to his native Belgium to play in the Belgian First Division A.

Career

Germinal Beerschot

Rits made his debut at the highest level of Belgian football in a 3–1 win over VC Westerlo. He came on the pitch in the 30th minute as a replacement for the injured Daniel Cruz. Mats Rits scored the equalizer and the last goal of the match.

During his youth career, several bigger clubs showed interest in the Belgium youth international, who had captained his country at the Under-17 level. RSC Anderlecht, Real Madrid, and Ajax were all clubs that expressed an interest in Rits.[1]

Ajax

On 28 June 2011, Rits signed a contract with Ajax.[2] He scored his first goal for Ajax in a friendly match against VV Buitenpost on 2 July 2011 in the 75th minute, with the match ending in a 4–0 away win for Ajax. Four days later on 6 July 2011, Rits scored an additional two goals in the 64th and 70th minutes in a friendly fixture against AZSV Aalten. The match ended in a 11–0 away win for the Amsterdam side. Suffering a back injury during practice, Rits was sidelined for the entire 2011–12 season, and for the first half of the 2012–13 season. He appeared in a couple more friendly fixtures for Ajax while recuperating, but was unable to find his way back into the A-Selection. On 9 October 2012, Rits scored the only goal for Ajax in a 1–1 draw at home, in the 76th minute, in a friendly match against Slovakia club AS Trenčín.

KV Mechelen

Unable to break through into the first team in Amsterdam following his injury, Rits returned to Belgium, signing a 2.5-year contract with KV Mechelen during the Winter transfer window, on 6 January 2013.[3]

Club Brugge

In the 2018 Summer transfer window, Rits was transferred to Club Brugge.[4]

Anderlecht

On August 15, 2023, Rits was transferred from Club Brugge to Anderlecht, signing a 3 year contract.[5]

Career statistics

As of 14 March 2013
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Germinal Beerschot 2009–10 Belgian Pro League 12 2 1 0 – – 13 2
2010–11 11 0 1 0 – – 12 0
Total 23 2 2 0 – – 25 2
Ajax 2011–12 Eredivisie 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2012–13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
K.V. Mechelen 2012–13 Belgian Pro League 12 0 0 0 – – 12 0
2013–14 25 1 2 0 – – 27 1
2014–15 24 2 3 0 – – 27 2
2015–16 28 4 3 0 – – 31 4
2016–17 37 5 1 0 – – 38 5
2017–18 29 4 2 0 – – 31 4
Total 155 16 11 0 – – 166 16
Club Brugge 2018–19 Belgian Pro League 39 3 1 0 7[b] 0 1[c] 0 48 3
2019–20 20 5 4 1 11[d] 0 0 0 35 6
2020–21 37 2 2 0 5[e] 0 0 0 44 2
Total 96 10 7 1 23 0 1 0 127 11
Career total 274 28 20 1 23 0 1 0 318 29
  1. ^ Includes Belgian Cup
  2. ^ Five appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ Appearance in Belgian Super Cup
  4. ^ Nine appearances in UEFA Champions League, two appearances in UEFA Europa League
  5. ^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

Honours

Club Brugge

References

  1. ^ "Toptalent Mats Rits blijft bij Germinal Beerschot". Gazet van Antwerpen. 2 April 2009. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  2. ^ Ajax contracteert Mats Rits Archived 30 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Mats Rits ruilt Ajax voor KV Mechelen
  4. ^ "Club Brugge haalt Mats Rits in huis". 29 May 2018.
  5. ^ "Mats Rits signs a contract for three seasons". rsca.be. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Club Brugge awarded Belgian Pro League title as season ended early". Sky Sports. 15 May 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  7. ^ "Club Brugge vs. Gent 3-2". Soccerway. 17 July 2021.