Nico Vaesen

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Nico Vaesen

| image =

| fullname = Nico-Jos Theodoor Vaesen

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|9|28|df=y}}{{cite web |url=https://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/nico-vaesen/ |title=Nico Vaesen |website=worldfootball.net |publisher=HeimSpiel |access-date=17 November 2019}}

| birth_place = Hasselt, Belgium

| height = 1.91 m

| position = Goalkeeper

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1990–1993 | clubs1 = Tongeren | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 1993–1995 | clubs2 = Cercle Brugge | caps2 = 16 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1995–1998 | clubs3 = K.S.C. Eendracht Aalst | caps3 = 34 | goals3 = 0

| years4 = 1998–2001 | clubs4 = Huddersfield Town | caps4 = 135 | goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2001–2006 | clubs5 = Birmingham City | caps5 = 54 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2003–2004 | clubs6 = → Gillingham (loan) | caps6 = 5 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2004 | clubs7 = → Bradford City (loan) | caps7 = 6 | goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2004 | clubs8 = → Crystal Palace (loan) | caps8 = 10 | goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2006 | clubs9 = Lierse | caps9 = 11 | goals9 = 0

| years10= 2008 | clubs10 = K.F.C. Verbroedering Geel | caps10 = | goals10 =

}}

Nico-Jos Theodoor Vaesen (born 28 September 1969) is a Belgian former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He retired from football shortly after joining Lierse, but returned to the game in 2008 with K.F.C. Verbroedering Geel for one season where his contract wasn't renewed.

Career

Born in Hasselt, Belgium, Vaesen spent his first professional season at Belgian sides Cercle Brugge and K.S.C. Eendracht Aalst, and on 21 May 1998 moved to English side Huddersfield Town. He was sent off on his debut, but went on to play 135 league games. During his first season for the club, he won the club's Supporters' Player of the Year. After three years at Huddersfield, on 18 June 2001, he signed for Birmingham City.

He was given the first-choice goalkeeper role at Birmingham, helping the club win promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in 2002. A memorable moment in the promotion season was saving a Gary Holt penalty in a 1–0 over Norwich City.{{cite web

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1872566.stm

|title=Norwich rue penalty save

|publisher=BBC

|date=15 March 2002 |access-date=29 August 2016}} Birmingham would go on to meet Norwich again in the play-off final and this time Vaesen saved from Philip Mulryne in the shootout.{{cite web

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/1979806.stm

|title=Birmingham reach Premiership

|publisher=BBC

|date=12 May 2002 |access-date=29 August 2016}} However a cruciate knee injury in March 2003 put him out of the game for nine months.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/3218943.stm |title=Vaesen set for loan deal |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2003-10-27 |access-date=2008-06-03}}

During this time Maik Taylor was brought in and established himself as first-choice goalkeeper. On Christmas Eve 2003, he was loaned to Gillingham for one and a half months, during which time he participated in five games. Spells at Bradford City and Crystal Palace, with whom he took part in another play-off final victory,{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_1/3750773.stm |title=Crystal Palace 1-0 West Ham |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2004-05-29 |access-date=2008-06-03}} followed in 2004. At the end of that season he signed a new two-year contract with Birmingham, intending to compete for a first-team place.{{cite news

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/3935395.stm |title=Vaesen signs new contract |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2004-07-29 |access-date=2008-06-03}} He finally dislodged Taylor in late 2005,{{cite news

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4450922.stm |title=Sunderland 0-1 Birmingham |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2005-11-26 |access-date=2008-06-03}} but a 4–1 defeat at Manchester City, in which he conceded a penalty and was later sent off,{{cite news

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/4516340.stm |title=Man City 4-1 Birmingham |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2005-12-17 |access-date=2008-06-03}} proved to be his last first-team appearance before he was released at the end of the 2005–06 season due to Birmingham's relegation.{{cite news

|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/b/birmingham_city/4754683.stm |title=Birmingham release seven players |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2006-05-09 |access-date=2008-06-03}}

He then moved to Belgian side Lierse, but has since retired. In January 2008, he changed his mind and made a contract with K.F.C. Verbroedering Geel.

References

External links

{{Soccerbase}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070524121348/http://en.worldsoccerstats.com/player/590 Player profile at World Soccer Stats]
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/shared/bsp/hi/football/statistics/players/v/vaesen_39286.stm Player profile at BBC Sport]
[http://www.holmesdale.net/page.php?id=111&player=77 Profile at Crystal Palace supporters website]

Category:1969 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Hasselt

Category:Belgian men's footballers

Category:Men's association football goalkeepers

Category:K.S.K. Tongeren players

Category:Cercle Brugge K.S.V. players

Category:S.C. Eendracht Aalst players

Category:Huddersfield Town A.F.C. players

Category:Birmingham City F.C. players

Category:Gillingham F.C. players

Category:Bradford City A.F.C. players