Maarten Martens
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 2 July 1984 | ||
Place of birth | Eeklo, Belgium | ||
Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) |
Attacking midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | AZ Alkmaar (head coach) | ||
Youth career | |||
1999–2000 | Klauwaerts Bassevelde | ||
2000–2003 | Anderlecht | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2003–2005 | Anderlecht | 1 | (0) |
2004–2005 | → RKC Waalwijk (loan) | 23 | (2) |
2005–2006 | RKC Waalwijk | 22 | (6) |
2006–2014 | AZ | 164 | (34) |
2014–2015 |
PAOK | 13 | (0) |
2015 | → Cercle Brugge (loan) | 8 | (0) |
Total | 231 | (42) | |
International career | |||
2000 | Belgium U16 | 6 | (1) |
2000 | Belgium U17 | 3 | (0) |
2001–2002 | Belgium U18 | 7 | (0) |
2002–2003 | Belgium U19 | 14 | (1) |
2003 | Belgium U20 | 1 | (0) |
2003–2007 | Belgium U21 | 28 | (7) |
2007–2010 | Belgium | 9 | (0) |
Managerial career | |||
2016–2021 | Club Brugge (youth) | ||
2021–2023 | Jong AZ | ||
2023–2024 | AZ Alkmaar (assistant) | ||
2024– | AZ Alkmaar | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Maarten Martens (born 2 July 1984) is a Belgian professional
Early career
Born in
Club career
RKC Waalwijk
Martens' improvement made Anderlecht loan him to another club. Over a year RKC Waalwijk wanted the 20-year-old midfielder so it signed on a year loan. Martens, both as a midfield and winger, improves tremendously in his first season. In the summer of 2005 the club bought him from Anderlecht for a three-year contract. Football journalist Johan Derksen said at that time in one of its VI -columns that Martens is a fantastic footballer and will enjoy playing for Waalwijk.
AZ
In the summer of 2006, Martens moved like his compatriot
On 28 October 2007, Martens had his first injury. This severe injury kept him outside for a long time. Only in the 2008/09 season did Martens go back into the first team. He played almost every match in that season and attracted the attention of the Italian giants Juventus. But the Belgian midfielder remained in the Netherlands and won the championship with AZ. A year later, Martens made his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League.
In April 2011, Martens was the victim of a charge from his compatriot and former teammate Gill Swerts. On his return in August 2011, Martens immediately scored an important goal in the match against PSV. Two weeks later, Martens was injured again. Only in December 2011, he succeeded to come back in the first team.
In August 2012, after the departure of Niklas Moisander and Rasmus Elm, Martens became the captain of the club. Martens played the first few games of the season, but after a serious knee injury missed the rest of the season.
PAOK
On 15 January 2014, Martens signed a contract with
International career
While Martens played for RKC, he earned the interest of Jean-François De Sart. He became the captain of the Belgium U21 team.
Over the years, the young midfielder was part of a strong generation of players like
At the Olympics, Belgium promoted from Group C along with Brazil through to the quarterfinals. Belgium surprisingly won Italy to the quarterfinals by 3–2. In the semi-final against Nigeria, Belgium lost 4–1. In the game for the bronze medal Brazil defeated the young Red Devils 3–0.
The good performance of the young Devils stood in contrast to the poor results of the first team. Many players, among Martens, from this team after the Olympic Games were promoted to the first team, but Martens throughout the years did not manage to receive a permanent call. But he is, to date, the player with the most appearances in the Belgium U21 team.
Martens made his debut on 7 February 2007 with
Managerial career
In May 2021, Martens started his first job as head coach in Alkmaar, with Jong AZ, after he already worked in the youth of Club Brugge as an assistant coach.[citation needed]
At the end of the 2022–23 season, he was moved from Jong AZ to the main AZ squad as an assistant coach.[1]
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Anderlecht | 2003–04 | Pro League
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
RKC Waalwijk | 2004–05 | Eredivisie | 23 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 27 | 2 | |
2005–06 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 25 | 7 | |||
Total | 45 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 9 | |||
AZ | 2006–07 | Eredivisie | 31 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 4[a] | 0 | 46 | 12 |
2007–08 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | ||
2008–09 | 32 | 7 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 35 | 7 | |||
2009–10 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1[b] | 1 | 39 | 6 | ||
2010–11 | 24 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 6 | ||
2011–12 | 15 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 12 | ||
2012–13 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 1 | ||
2013–14 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 26 | 1 | ||
Total | 164 | 34 | 11 | 3 | 45 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 226 | 45 | ||
PAOK | 2013–14 | Super League
|
5 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | 9 | 1 |
2014–15 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 2 | ||
Total | 13 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 3 | ||
Cercle Brugge | 2014–15 | Pro League | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[e] | 1 | 11 | 1 |
Career total | 231 | 42 | 22 | 5 | 50 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 314 | 58 |
- ^ Four appearances in Eredivisie playoffs
- ^ One appearance and one goal in Johan Cruyff Shield
- ^ One appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield
- Super Leagueplayoffs
- Pro Leagueplayoffs
Honours
AZ
- Eredivisie: 2008–09
- KNVB Cup: 2012–13
- 2009
External links
- Maarten Martens at Soccerway
References
- ^ "Bekijk de Special Maarten Martens werkt aan de toekomst" [View the Special Maarten Martens is working on the future] (in Dutch). AZ Alkmaar. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ "Maarten Martens » Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
- ^ "M. Martens - Carrière". Voetbal International (in Dutch). Retrieved 13 July 2018.