Bart Vriends
{{short description|Dutch footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Bart Vriends
| image = GAE - Sparta Rotterdam - Bart Vriends.jpg
| caption = Vriends with Sparta Rotterdam in 2023
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1991|5|9|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Amersfoort, Netherlands
| currentclub = Adelaide United
| clubnumber = 3
| height = {{height|m=1.88}}
| position = Centre back
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 = Utrecht
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = VVZA Amersfoort
| years1 = 2012–2013
| clubs1 = Utrecht
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2013
| clubs2 = → Go Ahead Eagles (loan)
| caps2 = 15
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 2013–2016
| clubs3 = Go Ahead Eagles
| caps3 = 98
| goals3 = 4
| years4 = 2016–2018
| clubs4 = Jong Sparta Rotterdam
| caps4 = 4
| goals4 = 1
| years5 = 2016–2024
| clubs5 = Sparta Rotterdam
| caps5 = 192
| goals5 = 11
| years6 = 2024–
| clubs6 = Adelaide United
| caps6 = 24
| goals6 = 2
| club-update = 1 March 2025
}}
Bart Vriends (born 9 May 1991, in Amersfoort) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Adelaide United in the A-League Men. He formerly played for FC Utrecht, Go Ahead Eagles and most notably Sparta Rotterdam, of which he has played over 200 games for the club.{{Worldfootball.net|bart-vriends}}
Career
=Utrecht=
Born in Amersfoort, Vriends began his senior career through FC Utrecht's youth program. On the list for the Eredivisie team in the 2012-13 season, Vriends went on loan to Go Ahead Eagles before he was able to make his senior debut.
=Go Ahead Eagles=
Playing 15 games while on loan and helping the club reach promotion out of Eerste Divisie, GA Eagles eventually bought Vriends from Utrecht ahead of the 2013-14 Eredivisie season.{{cite web|url=https://www.oost.nl/nieuws/168388/vriends-we-hadden-kunnen-en-moeten-winnen|language=Dutch|title=Vriends: "We could and should have won"|date=4 August 2013|access-date=25 January 2025|website=oost.nl}}
Vriends gave his club a first victory of the 2014-15 season when his goal against Willem II was without response in August 2014. In the same match, Vriends received his only senior red card, just five minutes after his 64th-minute winner.{{cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11906/9447198/vriends-earns-victory-for-eagles|title=Eredivisie: Bart Vriends scores as Go Ahead Eagles earn first win|date=29 August 2014|publisher=Sky Sports|website=skysports.com}}
=Sparta Rotterdam=
In 2016, Vriends made a free transfer from GA Eagles to Sparta Rotterdam following 113 appearances for the former.{{cite web|url=https://www.football-oranje.com/eredivisie-201617-season-preview/|title=Eredivisie 2016/17 season preview|website=football-oranje.com|date=5 August 2016}} The move proved to be highly successful for Vriends, who captained the club across eight years and made 215 total appearances, becoming the first Sparta Rotterdam player to do so in over 20 years. Vriends captained Sparta to a first-place finish in the 2015-16 Eerste Divisie, achieving promotion to the Eredivisie after six years in the Dutch second division.{{cite web|url=https://www.besoccer.com/new/epic-fightback-by-drenthe-s-sparta-rotterdam-to-gain-eredivisie-promotion-643041|date=28 May 2019|title=Epic fightback by Drenthe's Sparta Rotterdam to gain Eredivisie promotion|website=besoccer.com}} He also captained the club to a semi-final in the 2016–17 KNVB Cup.
Following another few years which included a brief relegation and subsequent promotion, Vriends would go on to leave the club in 2024 following an eighth-placed 2023-24 Eredivisie finish for Sparta.{{cite web|url=https://aleagues.com.au/news/a-league-adelaide-united-sign-bart-vriends-transfer-news-eredivisie/|first=Sacha|last=Pisani|title=‘Perfect fit’: Huge coup as Adelaide lure Eredivisie captain to A-Leagues after icon’s advice|website=aleagues.com.au|date=1 July 2024}}
=Adelaide United=
Vriends signed to Australian A-League club Adelaide United in July 2024 on a free transfer. Former Sparta teammate Craig Goodwin was an influence in Vriends' decision, as Goodwin is one of Adelaide's all-time most prolific players.{{cite web|title=Vriends: It was an easy decision|date=12 July 2024|url=https://adelaideunited.com.au/news/vriends-it-was-an-easy-decision/|website=adelaideunited.com.au}} Vriends did not play in the 2024 Australia Cup due to injury fears from coach Carl Veart.{{cite web|title=New Adelaide United defender Bart Vriends not selected for Australia Cup battle|url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/new-adelaide-united-defender-bart-vriends-not-selected-for-australia-cup-battle/news-story/6b9ef81bf5b135a9d4d23b49a291c49e|first=Marco|last=Monteverde|date=30 July 2024|website=theaustralian.com.au|publisher=The Australian}} He went on to make his Adelaide debut early in the 2024-25 season, and scored his first goal for the club in a 2–2 draw against Perth Glory.{{cite web|title=‘I think I played well’ {{!}} Bart Vriends on his performance against Glory|url=https://aleagues.com.au/videos/id/i-think-i-played-well-bart-vriends-on-his-performance-against-glory/6365321339112/|date=28 November 2024|website=aleagues.com.au}} Vriends again scored for Adelaide, this time in the 98th minute to equalise 4-4 against Auckland FC.{{cite web|title=Adelaide stun Auckland to snatch a point in epic eight-goal thriller|first=James|last=Dodd|date=1 March 2025|url=https://adelaideunited.com.au/news/adelaide-stun-auckland-to-snatch-a-point-in-epic-eight-goal-thriller/|publisher=A-Leagues}}
Statistics
{{updated|match played 1 March 2025}}
| 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"|Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="3"|Jong Utrecht
|2011–12 |6 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 6 | 0 | ||||
| 2012–13
|Beloften Eredivisie |5 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 5 | 0 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!11 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 11 | 0 | ||||
| Go Ahead Eagles (loan)
|15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5{{efn|name=PO|Appearances in Eerste Divisie playoffs}} | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| rowspan="4"|Go Ahead Eagles
|32 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 34 | 0 | |||
| 2014–15
|Eredivisie |31 | 3 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 2{{efn|name=Eredivisie|Appearances in Eredivisie playoffs}} | 0 | 35 | 3 | ||
| 2015–16
|Eerste Divisie |35 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2{{efn|name=UEL|Appearances in UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | 4{{efn|name=PO}} | 0 | 35 | 1 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!98 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 104 | 4 | |
| rowspan="9"|Sparta Rotterdam
|18 | 0 | 3 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 21 | 1 | |||
| 2017–18
|Eredivisie |10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 3{{efn|name=Eredivisie}} | 0 | 14 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19
|26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 3{{efn|name=PO}} | 0 | 30 | 2 | ||
| 2019–20
|Eredivisie |26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 28 | 2 | |||
| 2020–21
|Eredivisie |23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|Appearance in UEFA Europa Conference League play-offs}} | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22
|Eredivisie |33 | 3 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 34 | 3 | |||
| 2022–23
|Eredivisie |30 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 4{{efn|name=Eredivisie}} | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24
|Eredivisie |26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|name=Eredivisie}} | 0 | 28 | 2 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!192 | 11 | 11 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 12 | 0 | 215 | 12 | ||
| rowspan="3"|Jong Sparta Rotterdam
|1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 2017–18
|Tweede Divisie |3 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 3 | 1 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!4 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 4 | 1 | ||||
| Adelaide United
|16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0{{efn|Appearances in A-League finals}} | 0 | 16 | 2 | ||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!336 | 19 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 370 | 20 |
{{Notelist}}
Honours
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{WorldFootball.net|bart-vriends}}
- [https://www.vi.nl/spelers/bart-vriends/carriere Career stats & Profile] - Voetbal International
{{Adelaide United FC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vriends, Bart}}
Category:Footballers from Amersfoort
Category:Men's association football central defenders
Category:Dutch men's footballers
Category:Go Ahead Eagles players
Category:Sparta Rotterdam players
Category:Adelaide United FC players
Category:Eerste Divisie players
Category:Tweede Divisie players
Category:21st-century Dutch sportsmen
{{Netherlands-footy-defender-stub}}