| Kjell Scherpen | |
| Full Name: | Kjell Scherpen[1] |
| Birth Date: | 23 January 2000 |
| Birth Place: | Emmen, Netherlands |
| Height: | 2.06 m[2] |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Currentclub: | Sturm Graz (on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion) |
| Clubnumber: | 1 |
| Youthyears1: | 2007–2011 |
| Youthclubs1: | VV Emmen[3] |
| Youthyears2: | 2011–2016 |
| Youthclubs2: | Emmen |
| Years1: | 2016–2019 |
| Clubs1: | Emmen |
| Caps1: | 35 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 2019–2021 |
| Clubs2: | Jong Ajax |
| Caps2: | 29 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 2019–2021 |
| Clubs3: | Ajax |
| Caps3: | 2 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2021– |
| Clubs4: | Brighton & Hove Albion |
| Caps4: | 0 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2022 |
| Clubs5: | → Oostende (loan) |
| Caps5: | 7 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2022–2023 |
| Clubs6: | → Vitesse (loan) |
| Caps6: | 26 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Years7: | 2023–2024 |
| Clubs7: | → Sturm Graz (loan) |
| Caps7: | 16 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
| Years8: | 2024– |
| Clubs8: | → Sturm Graz (loan) |
| Caps8: | 0 |
| Goals8: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2018 |
| Nationalteam1: | Netherlands U19 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 7 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2019–2023 |
| Nationalteam2: | Netherlands U21 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 18 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 19:17, 7 July 2024 (UTC) |
Kjell Scherpen (born 23 January 2000) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Austrian Football Bundesliga club Sturm Graz, on loan from club Brighton & Hove Albion, and the Netherlands under-21 national team.
Scherpen began his senior career with FC Emmen in the 2016–17 season.
In April 2019 it was announced that he would sign for Ajax in June 2019.[4] His 'signing video' involved him writing the words "Ajax is de mooiste club van Nederland" (Ajax is the most beautiful club in the Netherlands) 1,000 times, given that he had been a childhood supporter of rival club Feyenoord.[5]
Scherpen made his debut for the Ajax senior team on 4 April 2021, as starter Maarten Stekelenburg was injured shortly before kickoff.[6] [7]
He was linked with a loan move to Eredivisie side PEC Zwolle,[8] but on 16 July 2021, Scherpen signed for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion permanently for an undisclosed fee.[9] [10] He made his debut on 8 January 2022, in a 2–1 (after extra-time) away victory over Championship side West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup third round.[11]
On 31 January 2022, Scherpen signed for Oostende of Belgian First Division A on loan for the remainder of the season.[12] He moved on loan to Vitesse in August 2022.[13]
On 6 July 2023, Scherpen signed a season-long loan deal with Austrian Football Bundesliga club Sturm Graz.[14]
In December 2023, Scherpen signed a new contract with the club until 2027.[15] He returned on loan to Sturm Graz for the 2024–25 season.[16]
Having represented the Netherlands at under-19 and under-21 youth levels,[17] [18] Scherpen received his first call-up to the Dutch senior squad in June 2022 to replace the injured Tim Krul.[19]
When he was 18 years old, his older brother Jorg (20) died after having been in a coma following a sudden cardiac arrest.[20]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| FC Emmen | 2017–18 | Eerste Divisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2018–19 | Eredivisie | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36! | 0 | |||||
| Jong Ajax | 2019–20 | Eerste Divisie | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | ||||
| 2020–21 | Eerste Divisie | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 29 | 0 | — | — | — | 29! | 0 | ||||||
| Ajax | 2019–20 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | Eredivisie | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1! | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2021–22 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2024–25 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Oostende (loan) | 2021–22 | Belgian Pro League | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| Vitesse (loan) | 2022–23 | Eredivisie | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 0 | |||
| Sturm Graz (loan) | 2023–24 | Austrian Bundesliga | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | 27 | 0 | ||
| Sturm Graz (loan) | 2024–25 | Austrian Bundesliga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 115 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 130 | 0 | |||
Ajax
Sturm Graz