Jens Cools

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Jens Cools

| image =

| fullname =

| height = 1.89 m

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|10|16|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Westerlo, Belgium

| currentclub = Lierse

| clubnumber = 26

| position = Defensive midfielder

| youthyears1 = 1997–2010

| youthclubs1 = Westerlo

| years1 = 2010–2016

| clubs1 = Westerlo

| caps1 = 147

| goals1 = 10

| years2 = 2016–2018

| clubs2 = Waasland-Beveren

| caps2 = 49

| goals2 = 5

| years3 = 2018–2019

| clubs3 = Pafos

| caps3 = 25

| goals3 = 6

| years4 = 2019–2022

| clubs4 = Eupen

| caps4 = 73

| goals4 = 3

| years5 = 2022

| clubs5 = Al-Riyadh

| caps5 = 7

| goals5 = 1

| years6 = 2023–

| clubs6 = Lierse

| caps6 = 26

| goals6 = 1

| nationalyears1 = 2011

| nationalteam1 = Belgium U21

| nationalcaps1 = 2

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| pcupdate = 12 May 2024

| ntupdate =

}}

Jens Cools (born 16 October 1990) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Lierse. He gained two caps for the Belgium under-21 team.

Career

=Westerlo=

In the 2009–10 season, Cools was promoted from the youth academy to the first team of Westerlo, the club from the municipality where he grew up. He made his professional debut one season later. After having played for six seasons in the first team, Cools' contract expired at the end of the 2015–16 season, as a result of which he left Westerlo on a free transfer.{{cite news |title=Waasland-Beveren haalt Jens Cools weg bij Westerlo |url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20160506_02276060 |work=Het Nieuwsblad |date=2016-05-06 |language=nl-BE}} A key player of the club during his time there, Cools managed to make 161 appearances for the club, in which he scored 12 goals.

=Waasland-Beveren=

On 1 July 2016, Cools moved Waasland-Beveren after having been convinced by their manager Stijn Vreven. Cools signed a two-year contract.{{cite news |last1=Collard |first1=Timothy |title=Één van de opmerkelijkste transfers in België: "Na 19 jaar was het tijd om de stap te zetten" |url=https://www.voetbalkrant.com/nieuws/2016-06-17/jens-cools-een-van-de-opmerkelijkste-transfers-in-belgie-na-19-jaar-was-het-tijd-om-de-stap-te-zetten? |work=Voetbalkrant.com |date=2016-06-17 |language=nl}} He made 51 appearances for the club during his two seasons there, in which he scored two goals.

=Pafos=

After two seasons, he chose to accept an offer from Cypriot club Pafos.{{cite news |title=Jens Cools 2 jaar naar Paphos |url=https://www.rtv.be/artikels/jens-cools-2-jaar-naar-paphos-a57526 |work=RTV |date=2018-08-05 |language=nl}} He experienced a strong season there in which he scored six goals in 25 appearances.{{Soccerway|jens-cools/121509}}

=Eupen=

After playing in Cyprus for one season, Cools expressed a wish to return to his home country.{{cite news |last1=t'Sjoen |first1=Arjan |title=Jens Cools is terug in België: "Ik wil met Eupen een goed seizoen draaien in 1A" |url=https://www.voetbalkrant.com/nieuws/2019-07-19/jens-cools-is-terug-in-belgie-ik-wil-met-eupen-een-goed-seizoen-draaien-in-1a |work=Voetbalkrant.com |date=2019-07-19 |language=nl}} On 16 July 2019, Eupen announced that he had signed a three-year contract with them.{{cite news |last1=Elst |first1=Maarten |title=Eupen haalt ervaren Jens Cools terug naar België |url=https://www.gva.be/cnt/dmf20190716_04512751 |work=Gazet van Antwerpen |date=2019-07-16 |language=nl-BE}} In his first season there, he made 27 appearances and scored one goal.

In October 2020, he tested positive for SARS‑CoV‑2 during the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news |last1=Wens |first1=Nils |title=Het coronavirus vindt nu ook zijn weg naar KAS Eupen: middenvelder heeft positief getest |url=https://www.voetbalkrant.com/nieuws/2020-10-22/jens-cools-is-besmet-met-het-coronavirus |work=Voetbalkrant.com |date=2020-10-22 |language=nl}} Despite being sidelined for some time with the disease, Cools made 26 appearances and scored one goal during the 2020–21 season, as Eupen finished mid-table in a disappointing 12th place.{{cite news |title=Benat San José stopt bij Eupen, ex-speler Luis Garcia in beeld als opvolger |url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20210426_96458788 |work=Het Nieuwsblad |date=2021-04-26 |language=nl-BE}}

=Al-Riyadh=

On 26 July 2022, Cools joined Saudi Arabian club Al-Riyadh.{{cite web |title=جينس كولس يمثل #مدرسة_الوسطى |url=https://twitter.com/AlRiyadh_fc/status/1551931620424310788}}{{cite web |title=JENS COOLS HEEFT EEN NIEUWE CLUB GEVONDEN... IN DE WOESTIJN |date=26 July 2022 |url=https://www.voetbalkrant.com/nieuws/2022-07-26/jens-cools-gaat-voor-al-riyad-spelen}}

In December 2022, he was released by the club due to repeated injuries.{{cite web|url=https://arriyadiyah.com/791952|title= الرياض يخالص كولس |trans-title=Riyadh released Cools|language=ar|website=arriyadiyah.com|publisher=KSA Sport|date=28 December 2022}}

=Lierse=

On 7 January 2023, Cools signed a year-and-a-half contract with Lierse.{{cite web|publisher=Lierse|url=https://www.lierse.com/nieuws/jens-cools-naar-lierse|title=JENS COOLS NAAR LIERSE|date=7 January 2023|access-date=12 February 2023|language=nl}}

International career

Cools was called into the Belgian under-21 squad in March 2011. He made his debut for the Belgium under-21s on 24 March, replacing Luis Pedro Cavanda in the 82nd minute of a 1–0 win against Scotland.{{cite news |title=Belgium U21 1-0 Scotland U21 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/scotland/9435567.stm |access-date=3 December 2022 |work=BBC |date=24 March 2011}}{{cite web |title=Internationale wedstrijden – KBVB |url=https://static.rbfa.be/project/publiek/rencinter/en/wed_7291.htm |website=RBFA |access-date=3 December 2022}}

Career statistics

=Club=

rowspan="2"\|Club !rowspan="2"\|Season !colspan="3"\|League !colspan="2"\|National Cup !colspan="2"\|League Cup !colspan="2"\|Continental !colspan="2"\|Total
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
Division\|\|Apps\|\|Goals\|\|Apps\|\|Goals\|\|Apps\|\|Goals\|\|Apps\|\|Goals\|\|Apps\|\|Goals
rowspan=7\|Westerlo \|2010–11 \|rowspan=2\|Pro League \|21	0	5	0	–	–	–	–	26	0
2011–12 \|15	0	0	0	–	–	1	0	16	0
2012–13 \|rowspan=2\|Proximus League \|26	3	2	0	–	–	–	–	28	3
2013–14 \|29	3	4	2	–	–	–	–	33	5
2014–15 \|rowspan=2\|Pro League \|28	0	0	0	–	–	–	–	28	0
2015–16 \|28	4	2	0	–	–	–	–	30	4
colspan="2"\|Total !147	10	13	2	0	0	1	0	161	12
rowspan=3\|Waasland-Beveren \|2016–17 \|rowspan=2\|First Division A \|36	4	1	0	–	–	–	–	37	4
2017–18 \|13	1	1	0	–	–	–	–	14	1
colspan="2"\|Total !49	5	2	0	0	0	0	0	51	5
Pafos \|2018–19 \|Cypriot First Division \|25	6	3	1	–	–	–	–	28	7
colspan="3"\|Career total !221	21	18	3	0	0	1	0	240	24