Dylan Mertens
{{Short description|Dutch footballer (born 1995)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Dylan Mertens
| image =
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|7|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Amsterdam, Netherlands
| height = 1.81 m
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = SDW
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 = DWS
| youthyears3 = {{0|0000}}–2008
| youthclubs3 = AFC
| youthyears4 = 2008–2010
| youthclubs4 = FC Utrecht
| youthyears5 = 2010–2011
| youthclubs5 = AFC
| youthyears6 = 2011–2013
| youthclubs6 = SV Argon
| youthyears7 = 2013–2014
| youthclubs7 = FC Den Bosch
| years1 = 2014–2018 | clubs1 = Volendam | caps1 = 38 | goals1 = 2
| years2 = 2018–2019 | clubs2 = Telstar | caps2 = 19 | goals2 = 2
| years3 = 2019 | clubs3 = TOP Oss | caps3 = 1 | goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2020 | clubs4 = Koninklijke | caps4 = 4 | goals4 = 1
| years5 = 2020–2021 | clubs5 = Tsarsko Selo | caps5 = 25 | goals5 = 1
| years6 = 2021–2024 | clubs6 = Botev Plovdiv | caps6 = 66 | goals6 = 4
| years7 = 2024–2025 | clubs7 = Fakel Voronezh | caps7 = 27 | goals7 = 0
| club-update = 24 May 2025
}}
Dylan Mertens (born 20 July 1995) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder.{{Worldfootball.net|dylan-mertens}}
Career
= Youth =
Mertens was born in Amsterdam. He played for SDW, DWS and AFC before joining the FC Utrecht Youth Academy in 2008. Two years later he had to leave and decided to return to AFC. His return was not for long and after one season he moved to SV Argon. In the summer of 2013 he made the move to FC Den Bosch, where he played with the A1 (Under 19).
= FC Volendam =
In the preparation of the 2014–15 season, Mertens joined FC Volendam on an amateur basis.[http://www.groot-waterland.nl/2014/08/05/hans-de-koning-stelt-de-nieuwkomers-voor/ Hans de Koning stelt de nieuwkomers voor] groot-waterland.nl, 5 August 2014 That season, he played 15 matches in the second team in which he scored 4 times. He also made it to the match selection of the first team two times, but didn't make his debut. On 30 March 2015, he signed his first professional contract with FC Volendam, until mid 2017.[https://web.archive.org/web/20161012003717/https://zaanssoccertalent.wordpress.com/2015/05/04/fc-volendam-legt-weer-twee-zaanse-talenten-vast/ FC Volendam legt weer twee Zaanse talenten vast] Zaans Soccer Talent, 4 May 2015
In the summer of 2015, Mertens joined the first team. On 7 August 2015, he made his debut for FC Volendam in the league match against NAC Breda (4–1 win). He replaced Rafik El Hamdi after 79 minutes.[https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/08/07/netherlands/eerste-divisie/nac-bv/fc-volendam/2039557/ Game Report by Soccerway] On 18 September 2015, he scored his first goal for FC Volendam, the opening goal in a 2–0 win against Helmond Sport.[https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/09/18/netherlands/eerste-divisie/stichting-helmond-sport/fc-volendam/2039617/ Game Report by Soccerway] In February 2016, Mertens extended his contract at FC Volendam until mid 2018.[http://www.fcvolendam.nl/nieuws/item/fc-volendam-breekt-contract-van-dylan-mertens-open/ FC Volendam breekt contract van Dylan Mertens open] FC Volendam, 10 February 2016
In the preparation of the 2016–17 season, Mertens tore off his ACL and was unable to play for the rest of the season.[http://www.fcvolendam.nl/nieuws/item/drama-voor-dylan-mertens/ Drama voor Dylan Mertens] FC Volendam, 12 July 2016 On 29 April 2017, 10 months later, he made his comeback in a match of Jong FC Volendam against FC Rijnvogels.
=TOP Oss=
On 8 August 2019, it was announced that Mertens had signed a contract until the summer 2020 with TOP Oss.[https://toposs.nl/dennis-hettinga-en-dylan-mertens-blijven-in-oss/ Dennis Hettinga en Dylan Mertens blijven in Oss], toposs.nl, 8 August 2019 However, after a disappointing start on the season, the club announced on 17 October 2019, that Mertens was one of three players that had left the club.[https://toposs.nl/drie-spelers-vertrekken-bij-top-oss-ioannidis-is-nieuw/ Drie spelers vertrekken bij TOP Oss; Ioannidis is nieuw], toposs.nl, 17 October 2019
=Fakel Voronezh=
In June 2024, Mertens joined Russian Premier League side Fakel Voronezh. {{cite web|url=https://fakelfc.ru/news/view/9504-dilan-mertens-stal-igrokom-fakela|trans-title=Dylan Mertens became a Fakel player|title=Дилан Мертенс стал игроком «Факела»|language=Russian|website=fakelfc.ru|date=6 June 2024|accessdate=6 June 2024}} He left Fakel at the conclusion of the 2024–25 season, following Fakel's relegation.{{cite web|publisher=FC Fakel Voronez|url=https://fakelfc.ru/news/view/9821-mertens-lomovickij-shetinin-i-kashtanov-pokinuli-fakel|title=Мертенс, Ломовицкий, Щетинин и Каштанов покинули "Факел"|trans-title=Mertens, Lomovitsky, Shchetinin and Kashtanov left Fakel|date=26 May 2025|access-date=27 May 2025|language=ru}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 24 May 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"|National Cup{{efn|Includes KNVB Beker, Russian Cup}} !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="5"|Volendam
|0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2015–16
|Eerste Divisie |29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 30 | 2 | ||
| 2016–17
|Eerste Divisie |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2017–18
|Eerste Divisie |9 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 11 | 0 | |||
| colspan='2"|Total
!38 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 2 | |
| rowspan="3"|Jong Volendam
|2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 2017–18
|Derde Divisie |22 | 10 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1{{efn|Appearance in the promotion play-offs}} | 0 | 23 | 10 | |||
| colspan=2|Total
!24 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 10 | |
| Telstar
|Eerste Divisie |19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 19 | 2 | |||
| TOP Oss
|Eerste Divisie |1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Koninklijke
|4 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 4 | 1 | ||||
| Tsarsko Selo
|25 | 1 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 27 | 1 | |||
| rowspan="4"|Botev Plovdiv
|Bulgarian First League |29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan=2|– | 1{{efn|Appearance in the Bulgarian First League UECL play-offs}} | 0 | 30 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23
|Bulgarian First League |26 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2{{efn|Appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League}} | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 30 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24
|Bulgarian First League |11 | 3 | 3 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 14 | 4 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!66 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 74 | 6 | |
| Fakel Voronezh
|Russian Premier League |27 | 0 | 6 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 33 | 0 | |||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!204 | 20 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 223 | 22 |
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|dylan-mertens/348155}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mertens, Dylan}}
Category:Dutch men's footballers
Category:Footballers from Amsterdam
Category:Men's association football wingers
Category:FC Tsarsko Selo Sofia players
Category:Botev Plovdiv players
Category:FC Fakel Voronezh players
Category:Eerste Divisie players
Category:Derde Divisie players
Category:Tweede Divisie players
Category:First Professional Football League (Bulgaria) players
Category:Russian Premier League players
Category:Dutch expatriate men's footballers
Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Bulgaria
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Bulgaria
Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Russia