Arjan van Heusden
{{short description|Dutch footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Arjan van Heusden
| image =
| caption =
| fullname = Arjan van Heusden{{Hugman|20104|accessdate=9 March 2017}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|12|11|df=y}}{{cite web |title=Van Heusden, Arjan |url=https://grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk/items/show/668 |website=grecianarchive.exeter.ac.uk |access-date=9 November 2022 |language=English}}
| birth_place = Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands
| height = {{convert|6|ft|4|in|m|2|abbr=on}}{{cite book |title=Rothmans football yearbook 2002-03 |date=2002 |publisher=London : Headline |isbn=978-0-7553-1099-9 |url=https://archive.org/details/rothmansfootball2002unse/ |access-date=27 November 2022}}
| position = Goalkeeper
| youthyears1 = 1993–1994| youthclubs1 = VV Noordwijk
| years1 = 1994–1998| clubs1 = Port Vale| caps1 = 27| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 1997| clubs2 = → Oxford United (loan)| caps2 = 11| goals2 =0
| years3 = 1998–2000| clubs3 = Cambridge United| caps3 = 42|goals3=0
| years4 = 2000–2002| clubs4 = Exeter City| caps4 = 74| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2002| clubs5 = Mansfield Town| caps5 = 5| goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2002–2005| clubs6 = Torquay United| caps6 = 47| goals6 = 0
| totalcaps = 206| totalgoals = 0
}}
Arjan van Heusden (born 11 December 1972) is a Dutch former professional football goalkeeper who played much of his career in the English Football League.
Career
Van Heusden began his career in his native Netherlands with VV Noordwijk, moving to England in December 1993 for a trial with Port Vale, signing permanently in May 1994 for a fee of £4,500.{{cite book|last=Kent|first=Jeff|title=Port Vale Personalities|publisher=Witan Books|page=297|year=1996|isbn=0-9529152-0-0}} He joined up with fellow Dutchman Robin van der Laan, who had already established himself in John Rudge's squad. However, Van Heusden failed to dislodge the ever-reliable Paul Musselwhite and so joined Oxford United on loan in September 1997, playing 11 league games.
In August 1998, he moved to Cambridge United on a free transfer. He played 42 league games in two seasons before moving to Exeter City in August 2000. He missed just five league games of the 2000–01 campaign. After stalling on Exeter's offer of a fresh contract in April 2002{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/e/exeter_city/1954727.stm|title=Grecians begin clear-out|date=27 April 2002|work=BBC Sport|access-date=2 March 2016}} he signed within the club's ten-day limit,{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/e/exeter_city/1987582.stm|title=Van Heusden stays|date=14 May 2002|work=BBC Sport|access-date=2 March 2016}} though this failed to put an end to speculation over his future.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/e/exeter_city/2205383.stm|title=Van Heusden eyes exit|date=20 August 2002|work=BBC Sport|access-date=2 March 2016}}
In August 2002, he joined Scottish side Clyde on a short-term deal before returning to England to play for Mansfield Town the following month as Mansfield were in the midst of a goalkeeping injury crisis.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/mansfield_town/2281604.stm|title=Van Heusden joins Stags|last=Oliver|first=Pete|date=26 September 2002|work=BBC Sport|access-date=2 March 2016}} In November 2002 he joined Torquay United, initially on non-contract terms, later signing a longer contract after establishing himself as the first choice keeper.{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/t/torquay_united/3703306.stm|title=Boardley earns Gulls deal|date=30 September 2004|work=BBC Sport|access-date=2 March 2016}} He struggled with injury in the 2004–05 season and subsequently retired from professional football and returned to the Netherlands where he resumed his playing career with FC Lisse.
Career statistics
Source:{{ENFA}}{{Soccerbase}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="5"|Port Vale
|2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1995–96
|First Division |7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| 1996–97
|First Division |13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 17 | 0 | |
| 1997–98
|First Division |5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |
| Oxford United (loan)
|First Division |11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| rowspan="3"|Cambridge United
|27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |
| 1999–2000
|15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!42 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 53 | 0 | |
| rowspan="3"|Exeter City
|Third Division |41 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 0 | |
| 2001–02
|Third Division |33 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!74 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 81 | 0 | |
| Mansfield Town
|Second Division |5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | |
| rowspan="4"|Torquay United
|Third Division |15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| 2003–04
|Third Division |25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| 2004–05
|7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!47 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 52 | 0 | |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!206 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 237 | 0 |
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heusden, Arjan Van}}
Category:Footballers from Alphen aan den Rijn
Category:Men's association football goalkeepers
Category:Dutch men's footballers
Category:Dutch expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England
Category:Port Vale F.C. players
Category:Oxford United F.C. players
Category:Cambridge United F.C. players
Category:Exeter City F.C. players
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland
Category:Mansfield Town F.C. players