Mitchell van Rooijen

Mitchell van Rooijen
Van Rooijen in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth (1998-12-22) 22 December 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth Utrecht, Netherlands
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder[1]
Team information
Current team
 TOP Oss
Number 6
Youth career
2004–2008 Delta Sports '95
2008–2016 Utrecht
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2021 Jong Utrecht 72 (9)
2016–2021 Utrecht 1 (0)
2020–2021 → Excelsior (loan) 24 (1)
2021–2023 VVV-Venlo 57 (8)
2023–2024 Manchego Ciudad Real 31 (0)
2024– TOP Oss 11 (0)
International career
2015 Netherlands U18 2 (0)
2016 Netherlands U19 5 (1)
2017 Netherlands U20 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:04, 28 November 2024 (UTC)

Mitchell van Rooijen (born 22 December 1998) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Eerste Divisie club TOP Oss.

Club career

Utrecht

Van Rooijen was born in Utrecht, but moved to Houten with his parents at a young age.[2] In 2008, he moved from local amateur club Delta Sports '95 to the youth academy of FC Utrecht. He signed his first youth contract with that club in 2015,[3] before being promoted to the second team competing in the second-tier Eerste Divisie the following year, in 2016. On 5 August 2016 he made his professional debut for the team, starting on the opening day of the 2016–17 Eerste Divisie in a 4–1 away loss to NAC Breda at the Rat Verlegh Stadion.[4] On 22 December 2016, his 18th birthday, he signed a contract extension with FC Utrecht until 2020, with an option for an additional year.[5]

He scored a spectacular scorpion kick on 26 April 2019 in a league game for Jong Utrecht against Helmond Sport, joining a club of elite footballers who have scored this way in game, including Rafael van der Vaart, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Olivier Giroud.[6][7]

In March 2020, the option was exercised by FC Utrecht, automatically extending the deal until 2021,[8] and a few months later, in July 2020, he signed a new contract keeping him part of Utrecht until 2023.[9] Earlier that year, on 17 January 2020, Van Rooijen, who had become team captain of Jong Utrecht, had made his debut for the first team in the Eredivisie in a 3–3 away draw against PEC Zwolle.[10] Due to a number of injuries in the first team, head coach John van den Brom included Van Rooijen in the starting lineup that day, before replacing him in the 66th minute for Urby Emanuelson after suffering a groin injury.[11]

Van Rooijen was sent on a season-long loan to Eerste Divisie club Excelsior on 4 August 2020.[12] He would play regularly for the club, making 26 total appearances in which he scored once.[1] After the season, he returned to Utrecht.[2]

VVV-Venlo

Van Rooijen moved to VVV-Venlo on 26 July 2021, signing a two-year contract with an option for an extra season.[13][2] He made his debut on the first matchday of the 2021–22 season, starting in a 2–2 home draw against NAC Breda.[14] On 5 November 2021, he scored his first goal for the club, equalizing in the home match against Jong Ajax, which would eventually finish in a 3–1 loss.[15] He made 26 total appearances in his first season with VVV, scoring six goals.[1]

Van Rooijen left VVV at the end of the 2022–23 season, as his contract was not extended.[16]

Manchego Ciudad Real

On 25 August 2023, Van Rooijen signed with Spanish fourth-tier Segunda Federación club Manchego Ciudad Real.[17] He made his debut for the club on 3 September, coming on as a substitute in the 59th minute as Manchego lost 1–0 to Águilas.[18] He was a regular starter throughout the season, during which Manchego suffered relegation to the Tercera Federación.[1][19]

TOP Oss

On 28 June 2024, Van Rooijen returned to the Netherlands, signing for Eerste Divisie club TOP Oss on a two-year deal.[20][21]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 25 November 2024[1]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Jong Utrecht 2016–17 Eerste Divisie 13 3 — — 13 3
2017–18 Eerste Divisie 17 0 — — 17 0
2018–19 Eerste Divisie 22 4 — — 22 4
2019–20 Eerste Divisie 20 2 — — 20 2
Total 72 9 — — 72 9
Utrecht 2019–20 Eredivisie 1 0 0 0 — 0 0
2020–21 Eredivisie 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
Total 1 0 0 0 — 1 0
Excelsior (loan) 2020–21 Eerste Divisie 24 1 2 0 — 26 1
VVV-Venlo 2021–22 Eerste Divisie 25 6 1 0 — 26 6
2022–23 Eerste Divisie 32 2 2 0 4[a] 1 38 3
Total 57 8 3 0 4 1 64 9
Manchego Ciudad Real 2023–24 Segunda Federación 31 0 0 0 — 31 0
TOP Oss 2024–25 Eerste Divisie 11 0 0 0 — 11 0
Career total 196 17 5 0 4 1 205 18
  1. ^ Appearances in Eredivisie promotion/relegation playoffs

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Mitchell van Rooijen at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ a b c Dam, Jan van (26 July 2021). "Mitchell van Rooijen vertrekt na dertien jaar bij FC Utrecht". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  3. ^ "Mitchell van Rooijen verdient eerste profcontract bij FC Utrecht". RTV Utrecht (in Dutch). 17 September 2015. Archived from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  4. ^ "NAC Breda vs. Utrecht II – 5 August 2016". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  5. ^ "Mitchell van Rooijen verlengt contract". FC Utrecht (in Dutch). 22 December 2016. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  6. ^ "Almere City verovert vierde periodetitel in eerste divisie". NOS (in Dutch). 26 April 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  7. ^ "OTD: Jong FC Utrecht scoort na magistrale scorpion kick". RTL Nieuws (in Dutch). 26 April 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Opties in contracten Joosten, Arweiler en 5 spelers beloftenploeg gelicht". FC Utrecht (in Dutch). 30 March 2020. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Nieuw FC Utrecht-contract voor Mitchell van Rooijen". FC Utrecht (in Dutch). 14 July 2020. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Mitchell van Rooijen: "Iedereen houdt rekening met Jong FC Utrecht"". RTV Utrecht (in Dutch). 29 November 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  11. ^ "Mitchell van Rooijen maakt debuut: 'Droom die uitkomt'". RTV Utrecht (in Dutch). 17 January 2020. Archived from the original on 17 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  12. ^ "Excelsior huurt Mitchell van Rooijen van FC Utrecht". Excelsior Rotterdam (in Dutch). 4 August 2020. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  13. ^ "Van Rooijen maakt overstap naar VVV-Venlo". VVV-Venlo (in Dutch). 26 July 2021. Archived from the original on 17 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  14. ^ "Naar transfer smachtende Giakoumakis ziet VVV en NAC gelijkspelen". NOS (in Dutch). 8 August 2021. Archived from the original on 16 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
  15. ^ Bouwens, Jaj (5 November 2021). "VVV-Venlo lijdt tegen Jong Ajax vijfde nederlaag op rij". 1limburg (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 17 December 2022. Retrieved 17 December 2022.
  16. ^ "VVV-Venlo neemt afscheid van tien spelers". VVV-Venlo (in Dutch). 6 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  17. ^ "OFICIAL FICHAJE – MITCHELL VAN ROOIJEN" [OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT – MITCHELL VAN ROOIJEN] (in Spanish). Manchego Ciudad Real. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  18. ^ "Águilas vs. Manchego 1–0: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 12 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  19. ^ "El Manchego desciende a Tercera RFEF" [Manchego relegated to Tercera RFEF]. La Tribuna de Ciudad Real (in Spanish). 19 May 2024. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Middenvelder Mitchell van Rooijen komt naar TOP Oss". TOP Oss (in Dutch). 28 June 2024. Archived from the original on 1 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  21. ^ Hodselmans, Lean (28 June 2024). "Alweer een nieuwe speler voor TOP Oss: Mitchell van Rooijen tekent contract voor twee jaar". DTV Nieuws (in Dutch). Retrieved 12 July 2024.