Jens Cools

Jens Cools
Personal information
Date of birth (1990-10-16) 16 October 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth Westerlo, Belgium
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Lierse
Number 26
Youth career
1997–2010 Westerlo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2016 Westerlo 147 (10)
2016–2018 Waasland-Beveren 49 (5)
2018–2019 Pafos 25 (6)
2019–2022 Eupen 73 (3)
2022 Al-Riyadh 7 (1)
2023– Lierse 26 (1)
International career
2011 Belgium U21 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12 May 2024

Jens Cools (born 16 October 1990) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Lierse. He gained two caps for the Belgium under-21 team.

Career

Westerlo

In the 2009–10 season, Cools was promoted from the youth academy to the first team of Westerlo, the club from the municipality where he grew up.[2] He made his professional debut one season later. After having played for six seasons in the first team, Cools' contract expired at the end of the 2015–16 season, as a result of which he left Westerlo on a free transfer.[2] A key player of the club during his time there, Cools managed to make 161 appearances for the club, in which he scored 12 goals.[1]

Waasland-Beveren

On 1 July 2016, Cools moved Waasland-Beveren after having been convinced by their manager Stijn Vreven. Cools signed a two-year contract.[3] He made 51 appearances for the club during his two seasons there, in which he scored two goals.[1]

Pafos

After two seasons, he chose to accept an offer from Cypriot club Pafos.[4] He experienced a strong season there in which he scored six goals in 25 appearances.[1]

Eupen

After playing in Cyprus for one season, Cools expressed a wish to return to his home country.[5] On 16 July 2019, Eupen announced that he had signed a three-year contract with them.[6] In his first season there, he made 27 appearances and scored one goal.[1]

In October 2020, he tested positive for SARS‑CoV‑2 during the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] Despite being sidelined for some time with the disease, Cools made 26 appearances and scored one goal during the 2020–21 season,[1] as Eupen finished mid-table in a disappointing 12th place.[8]

Al-Riyadh

On 26 July 2022, Cools joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Riyadh.[9][10] In December 2022, he was released by the club due to repeated injuries.[11]

Lierse

On 7 January 2023, Cools signed a year-and-a-half contract with Lierse.[12]

International career

Cools was called into the Belgian under-21 squad in March 2011. He made his debut for the Belgium under-21s on 24 March, replacing Luis Pedro Cavanda in the 82nd minute of a 1–0 win against Scotland.[13][14]

Career statistics

Club

As of 18 May 2019
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Westerlo 2010–11 Pro League 21 0 5 0 – – – – 26 0
2011–12 15 0 0 0 – – 1 0 16 0
2012–13 Proximus League 26 3 2 0 – – – – 28 3
2013–14 29 3 4 2 – – – – 33 5
2014–15 Pro League 28 0 0 0 – – – – 28 0
2015–16 28 4 2 0 – – – – 30 4
Total 147 10 13 2 0 0 1 0 161 12
Waasland-Beveren 2016–17 First Division A 36 4 1 0 – – – – 37 4
2017–18 13 1 1 0 – – – – 14 1
Total 49 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 51 5
Pafos 2018–19 Cypriot First Division 25 6 3 1 – – – – 28 7
Career total 221 21 18 3 0 0 1 0 240 24

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Jens Cools at Soccerway
  2. ^ a b "Waasland-Beveren haalt Jens Cools weg bij Westerlo". Het Nieuwsblad (in Flemish). 6 May 2016.
  3. ^ Collard, Timothy (17 June 2016). "Één van de opmerkelijkste transfers in België: "Na 19 jaar was het tijd om de stap te zetten"". Voetbalkrant.com (in Dutch).
  4. ^ "Jens Cools 2 jaar naar Paphos". RTV (in Dutch). 5 August 2018.
  5. ^ t'Sjoen, Arjan (19 July 2019). "Jens Cools is terug in België: "Ik wil met Eupen een goed seizoen draaien in 1A"". Voetbalkrant.com (in Dutch).
  6. ^ Elst, Maarten (16 July 2019). "Eupen haalt ervaren Jens Cools terug naar België". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Flemish).
  7. ^ Wens, Nils (22 October 2020). "Het coronavirus vindt nu ook zijn weg naar KAS Eupen: middenvelder heeft positief getest". Voetbalkrant.com (in Dutch).
  8. ^ "Benat San José stopt bij Eupen, ex-speler Luis Garcia in beeld als opvolger". Het Nieuwsblad (in Flemish). 26 April 2021.
  9. ^ "جينس كولس يمثل #مدرسة_الوسطى".
  10. ^ "JENS COOLS HEEFT EEN NIEUWE CLUB GEVONDEN... IN DE WOESTIJN". 26 July 2022.
  11. ^ "الرياض يخالص كولس" [Riyadh released Cools]. arriyadiyah.com (in Arabic). KSA Sport. 28 December 2022.
  12. ^ "JENS COOLS NAAR LIERSE" (in Dutch). Lierse. 7 January 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  13. ^ "Belgium U21 1-0 Scotland U21". BBC. 24 March 2011. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  14. ^ "Internationale wedstrijden – KBVB". RBFA. Retrieved 3 December 2022.