Mark Otten

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Mark Otten

|image =

|image_size =

|caption =

|fullname =

|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|9|2|df=y}}

|birth_place = Nijmegen, Netherlands

|height = 1.80 m{{cite web |title=M. Otten - Soccerway |url=https://nl.soccerway.com/players/mark-otten/2366/ |website=nl.soccerway.com |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=2 January 2021}}

|position = Defender

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 = RKSV Brakkenstein

|youthyears2 = 1998–2003

|youthclubs2 = NEC

|years1 = 2003–2004

|clubs1 = NEC

|caps1 = 3

|goals1 = 0

|years2 = 2004–2007

|clubs2 = Feyenoord

|caps2 = 0

|goals2 = 0

|years3 = 2004–2006

|clubs3 = → Excelsior (loan)

|caps3 = 66

|goals3 = 1

|years4 = 2006–2007

|clubs4 = → NEC (loan)

|caps4 = 27

|goals4 = 0

|years5 = 2007–2011

|clubs5 = NEC

|caps5 = 28

|goals5 = 1

|years6 = 2011–2014

|clubs6 = Ferencváros

|caps6 = 35

|goals6 = 1

|totalcaps = 159

|totalgoals = 3

|nationalyears1 = 2001

|nationalteam1 = Netherlands U16

|nationalcaps1 = 7

|nationalgoals1 = 0

|nationalyears2 = 2001–2002

|nationalteam2 = Netherlands U17

|nationalcaps2 = 11

|nationalgoals2 = 1

|nationalyears3 = 2003–2004

|nationalteam3 = Netherlands U19

|nationalcaps3 = 11

|nationalgoals3 = 0

|nationalyears4 = 2006–2007

|nationalteam4 = Netherlands U20

|nationalcaps4 = 2

|nationalgoals4 = 0

|manageryears1 = 2019–2020

|managerclubs1 = RKHVV

}}

Mark Otten (born 2 September 1985) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defender. He currently manages the NEC U21 team.

Club career

=NEC=

Born in Nijmegen, Otten developed into a professional football player within the NEC youth academy. He joined the team at age 12, after having been discovered for the local youth team RKSV Brakkenstein where his father, Roger Otten, was a coach.{{cite news |title=Plezier voorop bij familie Otten |url=https://www.detrouwehonden.nl/2006/plezier-voorop-bij-familie-otten/ |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=De Gelderlander |date=25 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102093121/https://www.detrouwehonden.nl/2006/plezier-voorop-bij-familie-otten/ |archive-date=2 January 2021 |language=Dutch}} In January 2003, he was included in the first-team squad by head coach Johan Neeskens for their training camp in Alanya, Turkey.{{cite news |title=Mark Otten: "De kop is eraf!" |url=https://www.detrouwehonden.nl/2003/mark-otten-de-kop-is-eraf/ |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=De Gelderlander |date=21 January 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102094001/https://www.detrouwehonden.nl/2003/mark-otten-de-kop-is-eraf/ |archive-date=2 January 2021 |language=Dutch}}

On 27 March 2004, Otten made his professional debut in the Eredivisie in a 5–2 away loss to NAC Breda, coming on as an 87th-minute substitute.{{cite news |title=Feyenoord haalt jeugdinternational NEC |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/feyenoord-haalt-jeugdinternational-nec |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=Voetbal International |date=14 April 2004 |language=Dutch}} He would go on to make two more appearances during the season, as NEC finished the 2003–04 season in 14th place, six points clear of relegation play-offs.{{cite web |title=Historische statistieken Eredivisie |url=https://eredivisie.nl/nl-nl/Stats/Historisch |publisher=Eredivisie |access-date=2 January 2021}}

=Feyenoord=

In April 2004, it was announced that Otten would move to Feyenoord in the following season, after having signed a three-year contract with the club. He would, however, struggle to break into the first team, and spent time on loan with Excelsior for two seasons. In the 2005–06 season, Otten won the second-tier Eerste Divisie with the club.{{cite news |title=Eerste divisie: Excelsior kampioen |url=https://www.volkskrant.nl/sport/eerste-divisie-excelsior-kampioen~b31d5a45/ |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=De Volkskrant |date=31 March 2006 |language=Dutch}} The following season, 2006–07, he was loaned out to his childhood club, NEC. He suffered an injury in his upper leg in a pre-season tournament in Den Helder in July 2006, keeping him out for the start of the season.{{cite news |title=Mark Otten mist deel voorbereiding bij NEC |url=https://www.rijnmond.nl/nieuws/44319/Mark-Otten-mist-deel-voorbereiding-bij-NEC |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=Rijnmond |date=29 July 2006 |language=Dutch}} In April 2007, he suffered a knee injury, which meant that he was sidelined for six months.{{cite news |title=Otten minstens zes maanden aan de kant |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/otten-minstens-zes-maanden-aan-de-kant |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=Voetbal International |date=24 April 2007 |language=Dutch}}

=Return to NEC=

Despite suffering a knee injury, Otten signed permanently for his first club NEC in June 2007, penning a four-year deal.{{cite news |title=Otten van Feyenoord naar NEC |url=https://www.trouw.nl/nieuws/otten-van-feyenoord-naar-nec~b64ddea9/ |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=Trouw |date=7 June 2007 |language=Dutch}}

In the 2007–08 season Otten regained his place in the starting lineup of NEC and in the opening game of the 2008–09 he made his official return to Eredivisie action. He crowned this achievement by scoring the 2–0 goal against De Graafschap. On 4 Match 2009, Otten suffered another knee injury in the KNVB Cup match against SC Heerenveen. After a new cruciate ligament operation, he was set to miss six to nine months.{{cite news |title=Otten scheurt opnieuw kruisband |url=https://www.gelderlander.nl/nec/otten-scheurt-opnieuw-kruisband~a34ef411/ |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=De Gelderlander |date=5 March 2009 |language=Dutch}}

=Ferencváros=

In 2011, Otten's contract with NEC was not extended and on 14 June 2011 he signed a two-year contract with a third year option with Hungarian club Ferencváros. In his first season, he played regularly but afterwards suffered injuries. He was part of the team winning the 2012–13 Ligakupa.{{cite web |title=Ligakupa 2012–2013 - NSO |url=https://www.nemzetisport.hu/labdarugo_nb_i/ligakupa-20122013-2170725 |publisher=Nemzeti Sport |access-date=2 January 2021 |language=Hungarian |date=4 September 2012}} In February 2014, he was demoted to the reserve team of the club, alongside fellow countrymen Jack Tuijp and Arsenio Valpoort after the firing of Dutch manager Ricardo Moniz.{{cite news |title=Moniz haalt met Tuyp vierde Nederlander naar Hongarije |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/moniz-haalt-met-tuyp-vierde-nederlander-naar-hongarije |access-date=1 January 2021 |work=Voetbal International |date=8 July 2013 |language=Dutch}}{{cite news |title=Ferencvaros wordt Nederlandse enclave |url=https://www.ad.nl/nederlands-voetbal/ferencvaros-wordt-nederlandse-enclave~af852462/ |access-date=1 January 2021 |work=Algemeen Dagblad |date=9 July 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201041054/https://www.ad.nl/nederlands-voetbal/ferencvaros-wordt-nederlandse-enclave~af852462/ |archive-date=1 December 2017 |language=Dutch}}{{cite news |title=Moniz: 'Ontslag Ferencváros klap en trieste gebeurtenis' |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/moniz-ontslag-ferencvaros-klap-en-trieste-gebeurtenis |access-date=1 January 2021 |work=Voetbal International |date=1 December 2013 |language=Dutch}} In the summer of 2014, his contract expired and he decided to retire due to persistent injuries.{{cite news |title=Ex-NEC'er Otten aan het roer bij Brakkenstein |url=https://www.gelderlander.nl/voetbal-nijmegen/ex-nec-er-otten-aan-het-roer-bij-brakkenstein~aefb4eee/ |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=De Gelderlander |date=20 January 2017 |language=Dutch |quote=Otten stopte het jaar daarvoor als profvoetballer, noodgedwongen door blessures. De carrière van de oud-speler van NEC, Feyenoord, Excelsior en Ferencvaros (Hongarije) was getekend door knieblessures.}}

International career

Otten represented the Netherlands at youth international level.[https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/185185/speler/6734 Holland stats] at OnsOranje He was a member of the Dutch squad at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. The team was eliminated in the quarter-final against Nigeria.[https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/u20worldcup/netherlands2005/matches/round=91020300/match=91020047/index.html Nigeria - Netherlands 1:1 a.e.t. 10:9 PSO], FIFA U-20 World Championship 2005 (Netherlands), FIFA.com

Coaching career

While playing for NEC, Otten worked as a youth coach at RKSV Brakkenstein, and was appointed assistant manager of the first team after his retirement as a player in 2014.{{cite news |title=Mark Otten nieuwe hoofdtrainer van R.K.H.V.V. |url=https://www.omroeplingewaard.nl/mark-otten-nieuwe-hoofdtrainer-van-r-k-h-v-v/ |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=Omroep Lingewaard |date=22 March 2019 |language=Dutch}} In his first season, the team won the Vijfde Klasse. In 2015, he joined the staff of his former club NEC where he coached in the youth department.{{cite news |title=Mark Otten nieuwe trainer Feyenoord Onder 15 |url=https://www.feyenoord.nl/nieuws/nieuwsoverzicht/mark-otten-nieuwe-trainer-feyenoord-onder-15 |access-date=2 January 2021 |work=Feyenoord |date=16 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180828221707/https://www.feyenoord.nl/nieuws/nieuwsoverzicht/mark-otten-nieuwe-trainer-feyenoord-onder-15 |archive-date=28 August 2018 |language=Dutch}} In April 2016, he moved to Feyenoord where he was appointed the coach of the U15 team.

On 22 March 2019, it was announced that Otten would become the new head coach of RKHVV in the Eerste Klasse on a one-year contract while continuing in his role as a youth coach at NEC. In December, he stated that he would not extend his contract with RKHVV in order to focus on his obligations at NEC.{{cite web |title=Persbericht: Mark Otten geeft aan zijn contract niet te verlengen |url=https://www.rkhvv.nl/195/412/persbericht-mark-otten-geeft-aan-zijn-contract-niet-te-verlengen/ |website=rkhvv.nl |publisher=RKHVV |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102111639/https://www.rkhvv.nl/195/412/persbericht-mark-otten-geeft-aan-zijn-contract-niet-te-verlengen/ |archive-date=2 January 2021 |language=Dutch |date=4 December 2019}}

He currently manages the NEC U21 team.{{cite web |title=N.E.C. maakt trainersposities jeugdelftallen bekend; Mark Otten trainer N.E.C. O21 |url=https://www.nec-nijmegen.nl/nieuws/artikel/n.e.c.-maakt-trainersposities-jeugdelftallen-bekend-mark-otten-trainer-n.e.c.-o21.htm |website=nec-nijmegen.nl |publisher=NEC Nijmegen |access-date=1 January 2021 |language=Dutch |date=25 May 2020}}