Tom Soetaers

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Tom Soetaers

| image = Tom Soetaers.jpg

| image_size = 200

| caption =

| fullname = Tom Soetaers

| height = 1.74 m

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1980|7|21}}

| birth_place = Tienen, Belgium

| position = Left winger

| currentclub = SC Hoegaarden-Outgaarden (Head coach)

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1998–2000

| years2 = 2000–2004

| years3 = 2004–2005

| years4 = 2005–2009

| years5 = 2009

| years6 = 2010–2011

| years7 = 2011–2012

| years8 = 2015–2016

| clubs1 = Anderlecht

| clubs2 = Roda JC

| clubs3 = Ajax

| clubs4 = Genk

| clubs5 = KV Kortrijk

| clubs6 = KV Mechelen

| clubs7 = Olympia SC Wijgmaal

| clubs8 = SC Hoegaarden-Outgaarden

| caps1 = 6

| caps2 = 98

| caps3 = 17

| caps4 = 99

| caps5 = 8

| caps6 = 17

| goals1 = 0

| goals2 = 23

| goals3 = 4

| goals4 = 19

| goals5 = 0

| goals6 = 3

| nationalyears1 = 1997–1998

| nationalteam1 = Belgium U18

| nationalcaps1 = 13

| nationalgoals1 = 6

| nationalyears2 = 1998–1999

| nationalteam2 = Belgium U19

| nationalcaps2 = 9

| nationalgoals2 = 4

| nationalyears3 = 2000–2002

| nationalteam3 = Belgium U21

| nationalcaps3 = 18

| nationalgoals3 = 3

| nationalyears4 = 2002–2005

| nationalteam4 = Belgium

| nationalcaps4 = 8

| nationalgoals4 = 1

| pcupdate =

| ntupdate =

| manageryears1 = 2016–2017

| managerclubs1 = SC Hoegaarden-Outgaarden

| manageryears2 = 2017

| managerclubs2 = Olympia SC Wijgmaal

| manageryears3 = 2018–

| managerclubs3 = SC Hoegaarden-Outgaarden

}}

Tom Soetaers (born 21 July 1980) is a Belgian former footballer who played as a midfielder and current football coach, mostly being deployed as a left-winger.{{cite web|publisher=Voetbal International|title=Tom Soetaers|url=http://www.vi.nl/Spelers/Speler/Tom-Soetaers.htm|language=Dutch|accessdate=2009-09-01}} He is currently in charge of SC Hoegaarden-Outgaarden.[https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20180130_03329684 Hoegaarden: Tom Soetaers is nieuwe trainer SC Out-Hoegaarden]‚ nieuwsblad.be, 30 January 2018

Club career

Soetaers began his career at Belgian side Anderlecht where he made just seven appearances for the first team before moving to the Netherlands to play for Roda JC. He spent three years at Roda becoming a big part of their team and was signed by league rivals AFC Ajax. However Soetaers failed to ever really establish himself at the club and after just over a year he returned to his home country with K.R.C. Genk.

On his return to Belgium Soetaers managed to rediscover the form he showed at Roda JC and helped the side to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for two seasons. He also won the Belgian Cup in 2008–09 with K.R.C. Genk, beating K.V. Mechelen in the final. On 21 June 2009, Soetaers signed a two-year contract with K.V. Kortrijk, but after only 6 months he went to KV Mechelen, in a transfer deal that included Giuseppe Rossini who went the other way.

Soetaers currently has eight caps for Belgium winning his first in 2003 in a match against Poland.

Currently Soetaers is working for the TV channel 2Be.