Scott van-der-Sluis

{{Short description|Welsh footballer (born 2001)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}

{{Use British English|date=June 2023}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Scott van-der-Sluis

| image = Van-der-Sluis playing for Bangor City in 2021.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Van-der-Sluis playing for Bangor City in 2021

| birth_name = Scott van-der-Sluis

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|1|09|df=y}}

| birth_place = Connah's Quay, Wales

| height =

| position = Goalkeeper

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = 2009–2010

| youthclubs1 = Manchester United

| youthyears2 = 2010–2014

| youthclubs2 = Liverpool

| youthyears3 = 2015–2018

| youthclubs3 = Swansea City

| years1 = 2018–2019

| clubs1 = Swansea City

| caps1 = 0

| goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2019

| clubs2 = → Merthyr Town (loan)

| caps2 = 10

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2020

| clubs3 = Northwich Victoria

| caps3 = 11

| goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2020

| clubs4 = Runcorn Linnets

| caps4 = 6

| goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2020–2021

| clubs5 = City of Liverpool

| caps5 = 1

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2021–2022

| clubs6 = Bangor City

| caps6 = 8

| goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2022-2022

| clubs7 = Runcorn Linnets

| caps7 = 5

| goals7 = 0

| years8 = 2022–2023

| clubs8 = Shelbourne

| caps8 = 0

| goals8 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2014-2016

| nationalteam1 = Wales U15

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2016

| nationalteam2 = Wales U16

| nationalcaps2 = 3

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2017

| nationalteam3 = Wales U17

| nationalcaps3 = 1

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| club-update = 18:43, 17 August 2023 (UTC)

}}

Scott van-der-Sluis (born 9 January 2001) is a Welsh professional footballer, who plays as a goalkeeper. In 2023, he appeared as a contestant on the tenth series of Love Island and the fifth series of Love Island USA, as well as the spin-off Love Island Games.

Club career

=Early career=

Van-der-Sluis signed for Manchester United as an eight-year-old in 2009. A boyhood Liverpool fan, he moved to the Reds' academy in 2010 and spent five seasons with the club.

After leaving Liverpool in 2015, Van-der-Sluis joined Swansea City and moved to South Wales for four years, leaving at the expiration of his contract in 2019.{{Cite web |last=Coleman |first=Tom |date=2019-05-18 |title=The full Swansea retained list as Fer and other big names leave |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/full-swansea-city-retained-list-16294411 |access-date=2022-07-02 |website=WalesOnline |language=en}}

He also played in the English non-league system, for Northwich Victoria, Runcorn Linnets and Merthyr Town.{{Cite web |title=The Official Runcorn Linnets FC Web Site |url=https://www.runcornlinnetsfc.co.uk/news.asp?item=14032020114521 |access-date=2022-07-02 |website=www.runcornlinnetsfc.co.uk}}

= Bangor City =

In 2021, Van-der-Sluis came back to his native North Wales and signed for Cymru Leagues club Bangor City, quickly establishing himself as club-captain. However, following a Football Association of Wales league suspension that stopped the club from playing matches, Van-der-Sluis left the club in early 2022.{{Cite web |date=2021-10-29 |title=Bangor City suspended over unpaid wages |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/59096474 |access-date=2022-07-02 |website=BBC Sport |language=en-GB}}

= Shelbourne =

On 16 June 2022, Van-der-Sluis signed for League of Ireland Premier Division club Shelbourne.{{Cite web |date=2022-06-16 |title=Shelbourne announce signing of Welsh goalkeeper Scott Van der Sluis |url=https://shelbournefc.ie/shelbourne-announce-signing-of-welsh-goalkeeper-scott-van-der-sluis/ |access-date=2022-07-02 |website=Shelbourne FC |language=en-GB}}{{Cite web |last=Andrew Dempsey |date=2022-07-01 |title=League of Ireland: Confirmed summer signings in the 2022 Premier & First Division |url=https://punditarena.com/football/andrew-dempsey/league-of-ireland-summer-signings-2022-premier-first-division/ |access-date=2022-07-02 |website=Pundit Arena |language=en-GB}} On 26 August 2022, he made his debut for Shelbourne, keeping a clean sheet in a 4-0 FAI Cup win against Bonagee United.{{cite web | url=https://www.donegaldaily.com/2022/08/26/bonagee-united-beaten-by-superb-shelbourne-in-fai-cup/amp/ |title=Bonagee United beaten by superb Shelbourne in FAI Cup |date=26 August 2022 }} On 30 November 2022, he renewed his contract with Shelbourne for the upcoming 2023 season.

In June 2023, it was announced that he had left the club without making a league appearance, in order to participate on Love Island; Shelbourne manager Damien Duff said Van-der-Sluis would not be returning to the club.{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/league-of-ireland/damien-duff-i-was-shocked-and-saddened-that-scott-chose-a-villa-in-mallorca-full-of-beautiful-single-women-over-myself-the-staff-and-players/a452068853.html |title=Damien Duff: 'I was shocked and saddened that Scott chose a villa in Mallorca full of beautiful, single women over myself, the staff and players' |date=15 June 2023 |website=Independent.ie}}

International career

He has represented Wales at U15, U16 and U17 level a total of 10 times, winning the Victory Shield in 2015.{{Cite web|url=https://www.runcornlinnetsfc.co.uk/news.asp?item=14032020114521 |title=The Official Runcorn Linnets FC Web Site |website=www.runcornlinnetsfc.co.uk}}

Personal life

Van-der-Sluis is the younger brother of former footballer Jamie Reed.

''Love Island''

In 2023, Van-der-Sluis was confirmed as a contestant on the tenth series of Love Island, entering the villa as a "bombshell" on Day 11.{{cite web | url=https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/entertainment/reality-tv/love-island-2023-contestant-scott-van-der-sluis/ | title=Who is Scott van der Sluis? Meet the Love Island 2023 contestant and footballer }} He was dumped alongside Abi Moores on Day 52.{{cite web | url=https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/reality-tv/a44653922/love-island-2023-abi-scott-dumped/ | title=Love Island stars dump one couple days before final | website=Digital Spy | date=26 July 2023 }} Less than a month after being dumped from British version, Van-der-Sluis joined the fifth series of Love Island USA. He was eliminated after just one week.{{Cite web |url=https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/tv-news/new-love-island-bombshell-confirmed-as-league-of-ireland-goalkeeper-scott-van-der-sluis/a1975010528.html |title=New Love Island bombshell confirmed as League of Ireland goalkeeper Scott van der Sluis |date=15 June 2023 |website=Independent.ie}} He then took part in the spin-off Love Island Games, where he was dumped after three days.{{Cite web |title=The complete Love Island Games line-up and all the ex contestants |url=https://www.capitalfm.com/news/tv-film/love-island/games-line-up-cast-2023/ |access-date=2023-10-08 |website=Capital |language=en}} Since Van-der-Sluis has appeared on three different versions on the Love Island franchise in under three months, he is one of the most frequent contestants to appear in the show's history.{{Cite web|url=https://goss.ie/uk-showbiz/scott-van-der-sluis-reveals-what-fans-can-expect-from-love-island-games-its-very-different-354982|title=Scott van-der-Sluis reveals what fans can expect from Love Island Games: 'It's very different' | Goss.ie}}

References