Maxime Gunst

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Maxime Gunst

| image =

| fullname =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|8|6|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Waregem, Belgium

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| height = 1.79 m{{cite web |title=Belgium – M. Gunst – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/maxime-gunst/261328/ |website=int.soccerway.com |access-date=23 January 2022}}

| position = Left-back

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = KWS Desselgem

| youthyears2 = {{0|0000}}–2007

| youthclubs2 = Zulte Waregem

| youthyears3 = 2007–2012

| youthclubs3 = Club Brugge

| years1 = 2012–2013

| clubs1 = Club Brugge

| caps1 = 0

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2012–2013

| clubs2 = → Eendracht Aalst (loan)

| caps2 = 20

| goals2 = 1

| years3 = 2013–2018

| clubs3 = Eindhoven

| caps3 = 97

| goals3 = 3

| years4 = 2018–2019

| clubs4 = MVV

| caps4 = 28

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2020

| clubs5 = Roda JC

| caps5 = 7

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2020

| clubs6 = Roeselare

| caps6 = 0

| goals6 = 0

| totalcaps = 152

| totalgoals = 4

}}

Maxime Gunst (born 6 August 1992) is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as a left-back.

Club career

=Club Brugge=

Gunst grew up in Desselgem, West Flanders. He joined local team KWS Desselgem at a young age and later made the move to Zulte Waregem. There, he was scouted by Club Brugge in 2007. In the youth teams, Gunst played as an attacking midfielder, but in the 2011–12 season he competed for the position of left-back with contemporaries such as Jannes Vansteenkiste and Jimmy De Jonghe. In 2012, he was promoted to the senior squad, and ahead of the 2012–13 season he was told by coach Georges Leekens that a loan would be the best option due to depth at the position with Jordi Figueras, Fredrik Stenman and Bart Buysse in front of him.

==Eendracht Aalst (loan)==

Gunst was sent on a one-season loan to Belgian Second Division club Eendracht Aalst in the summer of 2012.{{cite web |title=Maxime Gunst: Eendracht lanceerde mijn carrière |url=https://www.eendracht-aalst.be/nieuws/varia/maxime-gunst-eendracht-lanceerde-mijn-carriere/ |website=Eendracht Aalst |access-date=23 January 2022 |language=nl-BE |date=10 October 2016}} He made his debut for the East Flemish on 2 September in a 2–1 win over Sint-Truiden.

=Eindhoven=

After a season with Aalst, Gunst signed with Dutch Eerste Divisie club FC Eindhoven in the summer of 2013.{{cite news |title=FC Eindhoven vist weer in vijver Club Brugge |url=https://www.elfvoetbal.nl/Binnenland/94710/FC-Eindhoven-vist-weer-in-vijver-Club-Brugge |work=Elfvoetbal.nl |date=4 July 2013 |language=nl}} He made his debut on 2 August in the season opener against VVV-Venlo. Halfway through the season, he suffered a serious injury, sidelining him for an extended period.

The 2014–15 season was a success both collectively and individually. He scored his first goal for Eindhoven against Telstar on 24 October 2014,{{cite web |title=Telstar vs. Eindhoven – 24 October 2014 – Soccerway |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2014/10/24/netherlands/eerste-divisie/stormvogels-telstar-combinatie/fc-eindhoven/1691295/ |website=int.soccerway.com |access-date=23 January 2022}} and at the end of the season, the club had set a points record and finished second in the league table after champions NEC.{{cite news |title=Fraaie eigen goal helpt Eindhoven aan vierde periode |url=https://www.fcupdate.nl/voetbalnieuws/275585/fraaie-eigen-goal-helpt-eindhoven-aan-vierde-periode/ |work=FCUpdate.nl |date=24 April 2015 |language=nl}} In the play-offs, Eindhoven lost to FC Volendam.{{cite news |title=Effectief Volendam naar finale play-offs |url=https://www.parool.nl/nieuws/effectief-volendam-naar-finale-play-offs~bae0229d/ |work=Het Parool |date=25 May 2015 |language=nl-NL}} Gunst recorded 12 assists that season and scored three goals.

After rumours of Gunst leaving Eindhoven for AZ,{{cite news |last1=Slegers |first1=Thijs |title=Leegloop dreigt door uitstekende prestaties FC Eindhoven |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/leegloop-dreigt-door-uitstekende-prestaties-fc-eindhoven |work=Voetbal International |date=18 April 2015 |language=nl}} he eventually signed a new contract with Eindhoven until 2018.{{cite news |last1=Slegers |first1=Thijs |title=FC Eindhoven licht opties in contracten Gunst en N'Toko |url=https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/fc-eindhoven-licht-opties-in-contracten-gunst-en-ntoko |work=Voetbal International |date=17 January 2015 |language=nl}} That season, Gunst suffered a serious knee injury, which would eventually leave him sidelined for 8 months.{{cite news |title=Eindhoven maanden zonder reserve-aanvoerder Gunst |url=https://www.fcupdate.nl/voetbalnieuws/287564/eindhoven-maanden-zonder-reserve-aanvoerder-gunst/ |work=FCUpdate.nl |date=16 November 2015 |language=nl}}

=Later career=

In August 2018, Gunst signed a two-year contract with league rivals MVV.{{cite news |last1=Lambrecht |first1=Yannick |title=OFFICIEEL: Belgische verdediger met verleden bij Club Brugge heeft nieuwe club |url=https://www.vrouwenvoetbalkrant.be/nieuws/2018-08-14/belgische-verdediger-maxime-gunst-ex-club-brugge-aalst-tekent-contract-bij-nederlandse-tweedeklasser-mvv?ref=team_news |work=Vrouwenvoetbalkrant.be |date=14 August 2018 |language=nl}} He made 29 appearances for the club in his first season, before his contract was terminated by mutual consent in November 2019.{{cite web |title=MVV Maastricht neemt afscheid van Maxime Gunst |url=https://www.mvv.nl/nieuws/mvv-maastricht-neemt-afscheid-van-maxime-gunst |website=mvv.nl |language=nl |date=25 November 2019}}{{cite news |title=MVV Maastricht en Maxime Gunst ontbinden contract in onderling overleg |url=https://maastricht.nieuws.nl/sport/16625/mvv-maastricht-en-maxime-gunst-ontbinden-contract-in-onderling-overleg/ |work=Maastricht |date=25 November 2019 |language=nl}} This occurred after media reported that he and Pieter Nys had started an uprising against head coach Fuat Usta.{{cite news |title=MVV beschuldigt eigen spelers van voorbereiden opstand tegen technische staf |url=https://www.voetbalprimeur.nl/nieuws/901862/-mvv-beschuldigt-eigen-spelers-van-voorbereiden-opstand-tegen-technische-staf-.html |work=Voetbalprimeur.nl |date=31 October 2019 |language=nl}}{{cite news |last1=Wiche |first1=Roel |title=MVV beschuldigt spelers van beramen opstand tegen trainer Usta |url=https://www.limburger.nl/cnt/dmf20191031_00130419 |work=Limburger.nl |date=31 October 2019 |language=nl}}

On 9 January 2020, Gunst signed a one-and-a-half-year contract plus a one-year option with Roda JC.{{cite web |title=Roda JC contracteert Maxime Gunst |url=https://www.rodajckerkrade.nl/nieuwsbericht/09-01-2020/roda-jc-contracteert-maxime-gunst |website=Roda JC |language=nl |date=9 January 2020}} His first game was against his previous club MVV, which ended in a 2–2 draw.{{cite web |title=Roda JC vs. MVV – 12 January 2020 – Soccerway |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2020/01/12/netherlands/eerste-divisie/roda-jc/stichting-mvv/3031878/ |website=int.soccerway.com |access-date=23 January 2022}}

In 2020, Gunst returned to Belgium where he signed with Roeselare,{{cite news |title=Nieuwkomer bij KSV Roeselare Maxime Gunst keert na zeven seizoenen Nederland terug naar België |url=https://kw.be/sport/voetbal/nieuwkomer-bij-ksv-roeselare-maxime-gunst-keert-na-zeven-seizoenen-nederland-terug-naar-belgie/ |work=KW.be |date=20 August 2020 |language=nl}} but that club went bankrupt in September 2020 and he became a free agent.{{cite news |last1=Verdruye |first1=Koen |title=Maxime Gunst zit zonder club sinds faillissement van KSV Roeselare: Voetballen is het mooiste wat er is, alles eromheen is vaak fake |url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20201125_95398390 |work=nieuwsblad.be |date=25 November 2020 |language=nl-BE}}

Post-playing career

Gunst retired from football after being released by Roeselare in 2020, and pursued a career as a personal trainer. In 2021, he became personal trainer for FitStudio in his hometown Waregem.{{cite web |title=Meet Maxime {{!}} By FitStudio Waregem [Facebook post] |url=https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1189263858270738 |website=FitStudio Waregem |access-date=3 December 2022 |language=nl-BE |date=4 November 2021}}