Janou Levels

Janou Levels
Personal information
Full name Janou Johanna Theodora Levels
Date of birth (2000-10-30) 30 October 2000 (age 24)
Place of birth Roermond, Netherlands[1]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Number 5
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
c. 2014–2018 CTO [nl]
2018–2023 PSV 87 (1)
2023– Bayer 04 Leverkusen 8 (1)
International career‡
2016–2017 Netherlands U17 7 (0)
2018–2019 Netherlands U19 16 (0)
2019– Netherlands U23 14 (0)
2021– Netherlands 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 December 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 December 2023 (UTC)

Janou Levels (born 30 October 2000) is a Dutch professional football player who plays as a defender for Bundesliga club Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Levels has captained the Netherlands women's national under-23 football team, and she has been capped for the Netherlands national team twice. She previously played for Dutch teams CTO [nl] and PSV.

Club career

Levels started playing football at the age of five for SHH Herten.[2] At the age of 14, she moved to CTO [nl] in Eindhoven.[2]

At the age of 17, Levels signed for PSV ahead of the 2018–19 Eredivisie season.[3][4] She was a part of the PSV team that lost the 2020 Eredivisie Cup Final to FC Twente.[5] In April 2020, she signed a new contract with PSV.[6] In the 2020–21 KNVB Women's Cup Final against ADO Den Haag, Levels conceded a peculiar penalty for handball. The ball touched her hand in the 18-yard box, when she raised it to appeal for supposed handball by her opponent.[7][8] Nevertheless, PSV won the match 1–0, and earned their first major honour.[9] In April 2021, she signed a new three-year contract with the club.[10] In total, she made 117 appearances for PSV in five seasons with the club. In June 2023, Levels was transferred to Frauen-Bundesliga club Bayer 04 Leverkusen.[11]

International career

In October 2021, Levels was named to the Netherlands women's national football team for the first time.[12] The next month, she made her senior debut in a match against Japan.[13] She was in the Dutch squad for three matches in February 2022.[14]

Personal life

Levels grew up in Herten, Netherlands.[15] She is the daughter of Jo Levels, who played for VVV-Venlo.[10]

References

  1. ^ "5 Janou Levels". bayer04.de. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Janou Levels tekent 2-jarig profcontract bij PSV" (in Dutch). SSH Herten. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  3. ^ "VROUWENTEAM LEGT PATTIWAEL, LEVELS EN VAN SCHOONHOVEN VAST" (in Dutch). PSV. 26 April 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  4. ^ "Toekomst van Oranjevrouwen: de 20 grootste talenten van Nederland". Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (in Dutch). 22 December 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  5. ^ "Limburgse doelpunten in eerste editie Eredivisie Cup". 1 Limburg (in Dutch). 28 February 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Drie speelsters verlengen contract bij PSV". Eindhovens Dagblad (in Dutch). 22 April 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Bizar: PSV'er appelleert voor hands en krijgt zélf een penalty tegen". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 5 June 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  8. ^ "Opmerkelijk penaltymoment houdt PSV vrouwen niet van de beker af". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 5 June 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  9. ^ "PSV verovert eerste prijs in clubhistorie bij de vrouwen". Eindhovens Dagblad (in Dutch). 5 June 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  10. ^ a b "PSV-linksback Janou Levels: 'Het belangrijkste is dat wij aan het einde van de streep prijzen binnenhalen'". Eindhovens Dagblad (in Dutch). 18 April 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Bayer Leverkusen betaalt PSV transfersom voor overname Janou Levels". Eindhovens Dagblad (in Dutch). 21 June 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  12. ^ "Levels is Oranje Leeuwin: 'Nooit gedacht, wel gedroomd'". 1 Limburg (in Dutch). 18 October 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Oranje Leeuwinnen spelen bij debuut Hertense Janou Levels bloedeloos gelijk tegen Japan". De Limburger (in Dutch). 29 November 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  14. ^ "Janou Levels alsnog opgeroepen voor Oranje Leeuwinnen". 1 Limburg (in Dutch). 14 February 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Janou Levels enorm gemotiveerd bij PSV: 'Ik wil die titel pakken en belangrijk zijn voor het team'". De Limburger (in Dutch). 16 April 2021. Retrieved 24 February 2022.