Gijs Smal
{{short description|Dutch footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Gijs Smal
| image = Gijs Smal (cropped) (2).jpg
| upright = 0.9
| caption = Smal in 2018
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|8|31|df=yes}}
| birth_place = De Rijp, Netherlands
| height = 1.83 m
| position = Left-back
| currentclub = Feyenoord
| clubnumber = 5
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = SV De Rijp
| youthyears2 = 2010–2012
| youthclubs2 = AFC '34
| youthyears3 = 2012–2015
| youthclubs3 = Volendam
| years1 = 2015–2020
| clubs1 = Jong Volendam
| caps1 = 63
| goals1 = 4
| years2 = 2017–2020
| clubs2 = Volendam
| caps2 = 68
| goals2 = 9
| years3 = 2020–2024
| clubs3 = Twente
| caps3 = 107
| goals3 = 4
| years4 = 2024–
| clubs4 = Feyenoord
| caps4 = 25
| goals4 = 0
| club-update = 19:56, 18 May 2025 (UTC)
}}
Gijs Smal (born 31 August 1997) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Eredivisie club Feyenoord.
Career
Born in De Rijp, Smal made his Eerste Divisie debut for FC Volendam on 22 September 2017 in a game against De Graafschap.{{cite web|website=Soccerway|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2017/09/22/netherlands/eerste-divisie/fc-volendam/bv-de-graafschap/2463233/|title=Game Report by Soccerway|date=22 September 2017}} He then managed to establish himself in the starting line-up and made 28 league appearances in his first season. The following season, Smal lost the competition for left-back to Robin Schouten, who had come over from Jong Ajax, and mainly appeared as a substitute. However, he did become champion of the Derde Divisie Sunday with the reserve team, Jong Volendam. Under the new head coach Wim Jonk, he again became a starter for the first team in the 2019–20 season. With six goals and ten assists, he was a key player in the second-tier that season, which was suspended and later abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On 26 June 2020, Smal signed a three-year contract with Eredivisie club FC Twente, coming over on a free transfer.{{cite web |last1=ten Voorde |first1=Leon |title=FC Twente heeft eerste nieuweling binnen: Gijs Smal tekent voor drie jaar |url=https://www.tubantia.nl/fc-twente/fc-twente-heeft-eerste-nieuweling-binnen-gijs-smal-tekent-voor-drie-jaar~a8446522/ |publisher=Tubantia |accessdate=10 October 2020 |language=Dutch |date=26 June 2020}}
=Feyenoord=
On 31 May 2024, Smal signed a four-year contract with Feyenoord.{{cite web |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2522586-fc-twente-verdediger-smal-tekent-voor-vier-seizoenen-bij-feyenoord |title=FC Twente-verdediger Smal tekent voor vier seizoenen bij Feyenoord |trans-title=FC Twente defender Smal sings four year contract at Feyenoord |language=Dutch |date=31 May 2024 |access-date=2 July 2024}} He made his official debut for the club on 18 August, coming on as a substitute in a 5–1 away win against PEC Zwolle.{{cite web |url=https://www.feyenoord.com/nl/news/eerste-competitiezege-voor-feyenoord-in-zwolle-180824 |title=Eerste competitiezege voor Feyenoord in Zwolle |trans-title=First league win for Feyenoord in Zwolle |language=Dutch |date=18 August 2024 |access-date=18 August 2024}}
Career statistics
{{updated|match played 18 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"|KNVB Cup !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="5"|Jong Volendam
|2015–16 |7 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 2016–17
|33 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 33 | 1 | ||||
| 2017–18
|Derde Divisie |7 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 7 | 1 | ||||
| 2018–19
|Derde Divisie |16 | 2 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 16 | 2 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!63 | 4 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 63 | 4 | ||||
| rowspan="4"|FC Volendam
|28 | 3 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 28 | 3 | ||||
| 2018–19
|Eerste Divisie |12 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 12 | 0 | ||||
| 2019–20
|Eerste Divisie |28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 6 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!68 | 9 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 69 | 9 | |||
| rowspan="5"|FC Twente
|22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 23 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22
|Eredivisie |25 | 2 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 27 | 0 | |||
| 2022–23
|Eredivisie |34 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4{{efn|name=UECL|Appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League}} | 0 | 4{{efn|Appearances in Eredivisie European competition play-offs}} | 0 | 44 | 2 | |
| 2023–24
|Eredivisie |26 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2{{efn|name=UECL}} | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 29 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!107 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 123 | 2 | |
| Feyenoord
|Eredivisie |25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11{{efn|name=UCL|Appearances in UEFA Champions League}} | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 0 | |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!244 | 19 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 274 | 21 |
{{notelist}}
Honours
Individual
- Eredivisie Team of the Month: May 2022,{{Cite web|url=https://eredivisie.eu/news/seven-clubs-provide-players-for-eredivisie-team-of-the-month-may/|title=Seven clubs provide players for Eredivisie team of the month (May)|date=May 20, 2022|website=eredivisie.eu}} August 2022,{{Cite web |title=Xavi Simons named as Eredivisie Player of the Month August |url=https://eredivisie.eu/news/xavi-simons-named-as-eredivisie-player-of-the-month-for-august/ |access-date=2022-11-09 |website=Eredivisie |language=en}} November 2022,{{Cite web |date=30 November 2022 |title=Taylor Booth named as Eredivisie Player of the Month for November |url=https://eredivisie.eu/news/taylor-booth-named-as-eredivisie-player-of-the-month-for-november/ |access-date=30 November 2022 |website=Eredivisie |language=en}} January 2023,{{cite web|url=https://eredivisie.nl/nieuws/nick-olij-uitgeroepen-tot-eredivisie-speler-van-de-maand-januari/|title=Nick Olij named Eredivisie Player of the Month for January|date=3 February 2023|access-date=10 February 2023|website=Eredivisie|language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|gijs-smal/508760}}
- {{WorldFootball.net|gijs-smal}}
{{Feyenoord squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smal, Gijs}}
Category:People from Graft-De Rijp
Category:Footballers from Alkmaar
Category:Dutch men's footballers
Category:Men's association football fullbacks
Category:Eerste Divisie players
Category:Derde Divisie players
Category:Jong Volendam players
Category:21st-century Dutch sportsmen
{{Netherlands-footy-defender-stub}}