Mitchell Dijks

Mitchell Clement Dijks (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈdɛiks]; born 9 February 1993) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a left back for Eredivisie club Fortuna Sittard.

Mitchell Dijks
Mitchell Dijks with Ajax in 2017
Personal information
Full name Mitchell Clement Dijks[1]
Date of birth (1993-02-09) 9 February 1993
Place of birth Purmerend, Netherlands
Height 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s) Left back
Team information
Current team
 Fortuna Sittard
Number 35
Youth career
2003–2009 Volendam
2009–2012 Ajax
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2014 Ajax 6 (0)
2013–2014 → Heerenveen (loan) 24 (0)
2014–2015 Willem II 28 (0)
2015–2018 Ajax 50 (0)
2017 → Norwich City (loan) 15 (1)
2017–2018 Jong Ajax 3 (0)
2018–2022 Bologna 74 (1)
2022–2023 Vitesse 7 (0)
2023– Fortuna Sittard 0 (0)
International career‡
2009 Netherlands U16 1 (1)
2010–2011 Netherlands U18 6 (0)
2012 Netherlands U19 3 (0)
2012–2013 Netherlands U21 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 May 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10:05, 7 December 2013 (UTC)

Career

Ajax

Born in Purmerend, Dijks was recruited into the youth ranks of then AFC Ajax partner club FC Volendam in 2009.[2] While playing for the Ajax A1 youth squad in 2011–12, Dijks helped his side to win the Nike Eredivisie league title,[3] as well finishing as runners-up to Inter Milan in the NextGen Series (the Champions League equivalent for under-20 teams) after losing on penalties (5–3) following a 1–1 deadlock after extra time.[4]

Dijks made his first team debut on 5 August 2012 against PSV in the Johan Cruyff Shield in which he played 76 minutes in before being subbed off for Dico Koppers and he also received a yellow card.[5] Ajax lost the match 4–2.[5] He then made his league debut with Ajax on 19 August 2012 against NEC, playing 79 minutes before being replaced by Joël Veltman.[6] The match ended 6–1 in favor of Ajax.[6] Dijks made a total of 6 league appearances playing in the left-back position. playing in a KNVB Cup match as well, all while helping Ajax to win the Eredivisie title in his debut season, making it the team's 32nd Dutch league title overall.

Heerenveen (loan)

For the 2013–14 Eredivisie season, Dijks signed on loan with fellow Dutch top-tier club SC Heerenveen.[7] On 3 August 2013, in the season opener against AZ, he was sent off in his first match for his new club. He was ejected following a reckless tackle in the 71st minute of the match, which ended a 4–2 victory at the Abe Lenstra Stadion.[8]

Willem II

On 28 August 2014, it was announced that Dijks had signed a two-year contract with Eredivisie side Willem II.[9]

Return to Ajax

On 26 June 2015, Ajax announced they had re-signed Dijks from Willem II. As part of the deal Ajax youngsters Richairo Zivkovic, Ruben Ligeon and Lesly de Sa will head the other way on loan. On 30 January 2017, Dijks looked to join Norwich City FC on an initial loan deal.[10]

Norwich City (loan)

In January 2017, having lost his position in the starting lineup to Daley Sinkgraven under newly appointed manager Peter Bosz, Dijks initially turned down a transfer option to play in the EFL Championship for Norwich City. He instead agreed upon a loan spell with the Canaries, which would last until the season ended.[11] He scored his first professional goal on 7 February 2017 in a 2–2 away draw against Wigan Athletic with a powerful header in the 73rd minute.[12]

Jong Ajax

Upon his return from Norwich City, Dijks originally trained with the first team, before it was decided that he would spend the rest of the season playing for Jong Ajax, the reserves team competing in the Dutch Eerste Divisie, the second tier of professional football in the Netherlands. Jong Ajax would go on to win the second division title that season with Dijks making 3 appearances in total.[13]

Bologna

On 29 April 2018, it was announced that Dijks had signed a contract with Serie A team Bologna on a free transfer. [14] He scored his first goal for the club on 12 August 2018 in a Coppa Italia match against Padova. He made his Serie A debut the following week in the home match against SPAL, and scored his first goal for the team on 8 April 2019, marking the final score in a 3–0 win over Chievo.[15]

In the following season, after only five appearances, Dijks suffered an injury to the second toe of his right foot that would keep him sidelined for 5–6 months.[16]

On 31 August 2022, his contract with Bologna was terminated by mutual consent.[17]

Fortuna Sittard

On 18 July 2023, Dijks joined Fortuna Sittard on a one-year contract.[18]

International career

Youth

Dijks has represented the Netherlands at under-18, under-19, and the under-21 level. He was selected in the final Dutch under-19 squad for the elite stage of the 2012 Euro U19 qualification. He started and played in the team's first match of the elite stage against Norway U19 and lasted the full 90 while he gained a yellow card in the 54th minute as the Dutch won 2–1.[19] He then played in the Netherlands last match of qualifiers against France U19 coming on a substitute in the 20th minute for Mats van Huijgevoort.[20] The match ended in disaster for Dijks and the Dutch as they lost 6–0 and thus lost out European U19 qualification.[20] On 15 August 2012, Dijks made his debut for the Dutch under-21 team in a friendly against Italy U21, coming on as a 46th-minute substitute for Johan Kappelhof as the Dutch lost 3–0.

Senior

Dijks received his first call up to the senior Netherlands team in March 2016 for friendlies against France and England.[21]

Career statistics
As of match played 21 May 2022[22][23]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Ajax2012–13Eredivisie6020000080
SC Heerenveen (loan)2013–14Eredivisie240300000270
Willem II2014–15Eredivisie280000000280
Ajax2015–16Eredivisie290109000390
2016–173000300060
2017–1890102000120
Total 4102014000570
Norwich City (loan)2016–17Championship151000000151
Bologna2018–19Serie A251310000282
2019–20130100000140
2020–21200000000200
2021–22160000000160
Total 741410000782
Career total 1882111140002133

Honours

Ajax A1 (under-19)[24]

Ajax[24]

References
  1. "Mitchell Dijks". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  2. "Convenant Ajax en FC Volendam lijkt te gaan leven". F-Side.nl. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  3. "Beste Spelers Nike A-junioren Eredivisie seizoen 2011/'12" (PDF). Nikefootball.com. 26 January 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  4. "Ajax A1 verliest finale van NextGen Series van Inter Milan". Voetbal Centraal. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2013.
  5. "PSV 4–2 Ajax". Voetbal International. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  6. "NEC vs. Ajax – 19 August 2012". Soccerway. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  7. "Official: Mitchell Dijks transferred to SC Heerenveen on a loan". SoccerFame. Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  8. "Heerenveen vs. AZ 4 - 2". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  9. "Dijks vertrekt transfervrij naar Willem II". Ajax Showtime. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  10. "Ajax Seal Deal For Celtic Linked Defender Mitchell Dijks". Inside Futbol. 24 June 2015.
  11. "Mitchell Dijks tóch naar Norwich". AjaxShowtime.
  12. "Wigan Athletic 2 Norwich City 2". Pink Un. 10 August 2016.
  13. "Jong Ajax lijdt kansloze ruime nederlaag in Jupiler League, Dijks schuttert". Voetbalprimeur.nl.
  14. "AJAX flankman DIJKS agrees move to Italian club". transfermarketweb.com.
  15. Sport, Sky (8 April 2019). "Bologna, scatto salvezza: Chievo battuto 3-0". sport.sky.it (in Italian).
  16. "Bologna, guai per Dijks: due-tre mesi di stop". corrieredellosport.it (in Italian). 5 December 2019.
  17. "Dijks, risoluzione consensuale del contratto" (in Italian). Bologna. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  18. "FORTUNA HAALT MITCHELL DIJKS NAAR SITTARD" [FORTUNA BRINGS MITCHELL DIJKS TO SITTARD] (in Dutch). Fortuna Sittard. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  19. "Elite round (Group 1) – 25/05/2012 – 17:00CET (17:00 local time) – Víceúcelová sportovní hala – Slany". UEFA. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  20. "Elite round (Group 1) – 30/05/2012 – 17:00CET (17:00 local time) – Bohemians Praha – Prague". UEFA. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  21. "Arjen Robben in Netherlands squad to face France, England". 10 March 2016.
  22. "Mitchell Dijks Voetbal International profile". Voetbal International.
  23. "Netherlands - M. Dijks - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". soccerway.com.
  24. "Mitchell Dijks - Career Honours". Soccerway.
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