Daylon Claasen

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Daylon Claasen

|image = Daylon-Claasen1 Ajax1nl 299x375.jpg

|caption = Claasen with Ajax in 2009

|fullname = Daylon Kayton Claasen{{cite web |title=FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009™: List of Players: South Africa |url=http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/01/10/28/62/fwyc_2009_squadlists.pdf |publisher=FIFA |page=16 |date=6 October 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091013164551/http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/01/10/28/62/fwyc_2009_squadlists.pdf |archive-date=13 October 2009 }}

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|1|28|df=y}}

|birth_place = Klerksdorp, South Africa

|height = 1.76 m

|position = Right winger, attacking midfielder{{WorldFootball.net|daylon-claasen}}

|currentclub = Cape Town Spurs

|clubnumber = 15

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 = Leicester City Klerksdorp

|youthyears2 =

|youthclubs2 = Vasco Da Gama

|youthyears3 = 2002–2006

|youthclubs3 = Ajax Cape Town

|years1 = 2006–2008

|clubs1 = Ajax Cape Town

|caps1 = 2

|goals1 = 0

|years2 = 2008–2010

|clubs2 = Ajax

|caps2 = 0

|goals2 = 0

|years3 = 2010–2013

|clubs3 = Lierse

|caps3 = 69

|goals3 = 11

|years4 = 2013–2014

|clubs4 = Lech Poznań

|caps4 = 23

|goals4 = 3

|years5 = 2014–2017

|clubs5 = 1860 Munich

|caps5 = 49

|goals5 = 1

|years6 = 2017–2019

|clubs6 = Bidvest Wits

|caps6 = 32

|goals6 = 1

|years7 = 2019–2022

|clubs7 = Maritzburg United

|caps7 = 89

|goals7 = 5

|years9 = 2024–

|clubs9 = Cape Town Spurs

|caps9 = 1

|goals9 = 0

|nationalyears1 = 2010–2015

|nationalteam1 = South Africa

|nationalcaps1 = 11

|nationalgoals1 = 0

|club-update = 10 September 2024

|nationalteam-update = 10 November 2022

}}

Daylon Kayton Claasen (born 28 January 1990) is a South African international soccer player who plays for Cape Town Spurs, as a winger.

Club career

Born in Klerksdorp, Claasen played youth football with Leicester City Klerksdorp and Vasco Da Gama.{{cite web|url=http://sport.iafrica.com/sasoccer/ajax/16278.html|title=Claasen joins Ajax Amsterdam|publisher=iAfrica|access-date=26 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808062106/http://sport.iafrica.com/sasoccer/ajax/16278.html|archive-date=8 August 2014|url-status=dead}} He has played professionally in South Africa, the Netherlands and Belgium for Ajax Cape Town, Ajax and Lierse.{{cite web|url=http://www.vi.nl/Spelers/Speler.htm?dbid=57120&typeofpage=84137|title=Profile|language=nl|publisher=Voetbal International}}{{NFT player|id=40650|accessdate=}}{{Soccerway|dylon-classen/97626}}[http://www.espnfc.com/bidvest-wits/story/3150418/bidvest-wits-sign-claasen-from-1860-munich Bidvest Wits sign Claasen from 1860 Munich]‚ espnfc.com, 29 June 2017

Claasen was released by Lierse in April 2013,{{cite news|url=http://www.sporza.be/permalink/1.1608299|title=Claasen says goodbye in Afrikaans|language=nl|date=19 April 2013|publisher=sporza.be}} and subsequently went on trial with Premier League club Everton the same month.{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/everton-fc/everton-fc-news/2013/04/23/south-african-midfielder-daylon-claessen-hoping-to-impress-in-trial-with-everton-fc-100252-33219253/|title=South African midfielder Daylon Claessen hoping to impress in trial with Everton FC|author=David Prentice|date=23 April 2013|publisher=Liverpool Echo}}

Claasen then went on trial with newly promoted Premier League club Hull City in July 2013, initially under the pseudonym of "James Armstrong" for a match against Winterton Rangers, where he scored one goal,{{cite web|url=http://www.hullcityafc.net/news/article/201314-winterton-a-report-916747.aspx|title=Tigers Win At Winterton|date=15 July 2013|publisher=Hull City A.F.C.|access-date=18 July 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728090534/http://www.hullcityafc.net/news/article/201314-winterton-a-report-916747.aspx|archive-date=28 July 2013|url-status=dead}} before his actual identity was revealed two days later.{{cite news|url=http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Exclusive-Identity-Hull-City-s-mystery/story-19529775-detail/story.html|title=Exclusive: Identity of Hull City's mystery international trialist revealed|author=Mark Fewings|date=17 July 2013|access-date=19 August 2013|newspaper=Hull Daily Mail|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130721180500/http://www.thisishullandeastriding.co.uk/Exclusive-Identity-Hull-City-s-mystery/story-19529775-detail/story.html|archive-date=21 July 2013|url-status=dead}}

On 21 August 2013, he signed a one-year contract with Polish club Lech Poznań.{{cite news|url=http://www.poznan.sport.pl/sport-poznan/1,124479,14469989,To_juz_oficjalne__Daylon_Claasen_pilkarzem_Lecha_Poznan.html|title=To już oficjalne. Daylon Claasen piłkarzem Lecha Poznań|date=21 August 2013|access-date=21 August 2013|publisher=sport.pl|language=pl}}

In June 2014 he signed a contract with German 2. Bundesliga club 1860 Munich.{{cite web|url=http://www.bundesliga.de/de/liga2/news/2013/claasen-verstaerkt-die-loewen-tsv-1860-muenchen.php|title=Claasen verstärkt die Löwen|date=25 June 2014|access-date=25 June 2014|language=de|publisher=Bundesliga|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705015040/http://www.bundesliga.de/de/liga2/news/2013/claasen-verstaerkt-die-loewen-tsv-1860-muenchen.php|archive-date=5 July 2014|url-status=dead}} He scored his first goal for 1860 Munich on 8 August 2015 in the first round of the DFB-Pokal against Hoffenheim, when he brought his team to a 1–0 lead in the 51st minute.{{cite web|url=https://www.kicker.de/muenchen-gegen-hoffenheim-2015-dfb-pokal-2841084/spielbericht|title=Claasen und Mulic lassen geschundene Löwen strahlen|trans-title=Claasen and Mulic let troubled lions shine|language=de|publisher=Kicker|date=8 August 2015|access-date=27 August 2015}}

In the summer of 2024 he signed for newly relegated second-tier club Cape Town Spurs.{{cite news |last1=Makonco |first1=Sinethemba |title=Spurs Snap Up Ex-Chiefs & Bafana Midfielders |url=https://www.idiskitimes.co.za/featured/spurs-snap-up-ex-chiefs-bafana-midfielders/ |access-date=10 September 2024 |publisher=iDiski Times |date=July 16, 2024}}