Owen Wijndal Explained

Owen Wijndal
Full Name:Owen Colin Wijndal
Birth Date:1999 11, df=yes
Birth Place:Zaandam, Netherlands
Height:1.76 m[1]
Position:Left-back
Currentclub:Ajax
Clubnumber:5
Youthclubs1:ZVV Zaandijk
Youthyears2:–2010
Youthclubs2:HFC Haarlem
Youthyears3:2010–2018
Youthclubs3:AZ
Years1:2016–2019
Clubs1:Jong AZ
Caps1:59
Goals1:2
Years2:2017–2022
Clubs2:AZ
Caps2:105
Goals2:3
Years3:2022–
Clubs3:Ajax
Caps3:22
Goals3:0
Years4:2023–2024
Clubs4:Antwerp (loan)
Caps4:29
Goals4:1
Nationalyears1:2013–2014
Nationalteam1:Netherlands U15
Nationalcaps1:5
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2014
Nationalteam2:Netherlands U16
Nationalcaps2:3
Nationalgoals2:0
Nationalyears3:2015–2016
Nationalteam3:Netherlands U17
Nationalcaps3:12
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalyears4:2015
Nationalteam4:Netherlands U18
Nationalcaps4:3
Nationalgoals4:0
Nationalyears5:2016–2018
Nationalteam5:Netherlands U19
Nationalcaps5:15
Nationalgoals5:0
Nationalyears6:2018–2019
Nationalteam6:Netherlands U20
Nationalcaps6:6
Nationalgoals6:0
Nationalyears7:2019
Nationalteam7:Netherlands U21
Nationalcaps7:6
Nationalgoals7:0
Nationalyears8:2020–
Nationalteam8:Netherlands
Nationalcaps8:11
Nationalgoals8:0
Club-Update:26 May 2024
Nationalteam-Update:04:00, 3 May 2022 (UTC)

Owen Colin Wijndal (born 28 November 1999) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a left-back for club Ajax. He also plays for the Netherlands national team.

Club career

AZ

Born in Zaandam, Wijndal joined the AZ youth academy at the age of 10, having formerly played for local sides ZVV Zaandijk and HFC Haarlem.[2] He was promoted to the second team for the 2016–17 season playing in the third-tier Tweede Divisie. On 4 February 2017, Wijndal made his first-team debut for AZ, starting in a 4–2 home loss to PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie due to injuries to regular starter Ridgeciano Haps and backup Thomas Ouwejan.[3] The end of the 2016–17 season saw AZ end on sixth place and thereby qualifying for domestic play-offs for participation in the third qualifying round of the Europa League the following season. They eventually missed out on European football, losing to FC Utrecht on penalties after two legs.[4] That season, Wijndal also made 24 league appearances for the reserves in the third division,[5] helping them win the third division title and thereby reach promotion to the second tier of Dutch football.[6]

During the 2017–18 season, Wijndal featured in the first-team side more regularly, making seven league appearances.[5] For the newly promoted reserves, he made 16 appearances and scoring two goals.[5] At the end of the season he signed a new five-year deal with AZ on 22 June 2018.[7] After struggling to break into the first team during the 2018–19 season, he began playing as a regular starter during the 2019–20 season.[8] On 25 July 2019, Wijndal also made his debut in the Europa League in a 0–0 home draw against Swedish club BK Häcken.[9] He scored his first professional goal on 7 March 2020 in a 4–0 league win over ADO Den Haag.[10]

Ahead of the 2021–22 season, Wijndal was made captain of AZ following the departure of Teun Koopmeiners.[11]

Ajax

On 12 July 2022, he joined Eredivisie club Ajax from AZ on a five-year deal for €10 million.[12] He made his debut on 30 July, starting in the Johan Cruyff Shield against PSV. Wijndal made two assists and was replaced by Calvin Bassey in the 62nd minute. Ajax went on to lose by 5–3.[13]

Royal Antwerp

On 5 September 2023, Ajax sent Wijndal on a season-long loan to Belgian Pro League reigning champions Royal Antwerp.[14] [15]

International career

Born in the Netherlands to a Surinamese mother and Dutch father, Wijndal is eligible for both Suriname and Netherlands. He has represented the Netherlands at every age group from under-15 to under-21 level.[16] Between 2015 and 2016, he made 12 appearances for the Netherlands under-17 team,[17] and participated in the 2016 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Azerbaijan where he made five appearances. The Dutch team made the semi-finals, where they stranded against Portugal.

Wijndal was a regular starter for the Netherlands under-19 team between 2016 and 2018, making 16 appearances for the team.[18] In the same period, he also appeared for the Netherlands under-20 team.[19] On 31 May 2019, Wijndal made his debut for the Netherlands under-21 team in a friendly match against Mexico in Doetinchem that ended in a 5–1 win for the Dutch.[20]

Wijndal was called up to the senior Netherlands squad for the UEFA Nations League matches against Poland and Italy in September 2020.[21]

On 7 October 2020, he made his first appearance for the Netherlands in the friendly match against Mexico which Mexico won 1–0.

Career statistics

Club

Club!rowspan="2"
SeasonLeagueNational cupEuropeOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Jong AZ2016–17Tweede Divisie240240
2017–18Eerste Divisie162162
2018–19Eerste Divisie190190
Total592592
AZ2016–17Eredivisie10000010
2017–18Eredivisie700070
2018–19Eredivisie802000100
2019–20Eredivisie24110140391
2020–21Eredivisie3411081432
2021–22Eredivisie3114080431
Total1053803011434
Ajax2022–23Eredivisie200403010280
2023–24Eredivisie20002040
Total220405010320
Antwerp (loan)2023–24Belgian Pro League2615060371
Career total2126170411102717

International

[22]

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Netherlands202040
202170
Total110

Honours

Individual

May 2021[23]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Owen Wijndal . AFC Ajax . 27 February 2023 .
  2. News: Owen Wijndal 1e prof-contract bij AZ! . zvvzaandijk.nl . ZVV Zaandijk . 23 June 2016 . 1 November 2019.
  3. News: PSV verpest debuut Krul en blijft in kampioensrace . ad.nl . Algemeen Dagblad . 4 February 2017 . 1 November 2019.
  4. News: FC Utrecht na stunt tegen AZ in Europa League. 28 May 2017. knvb.nl. 1 November 2019. nl.
  5. Web site: O. Wijndal: Summary . Soccerway . Perform Group . 1 November 2019.
  6. News: Jong AZ promoveert naar Jupiler League dankzij titel in Tweede Divisie. 1 April 2017. nu.nl . NU . 1 November 2019. nl.
  7. News: Contract Wijndal opengebroken. 22 June 2018. az.nl. 1 November 2019. nl.
  8. News: Bravouremannetje Wijndal maakt zijn woorden waar. 30 October 2019. ad.nl . Algemeen Dagblad . 1 November 2019. nl.
  9. News: Zowel AZ als FC Utrecht spelen gelijk in Europese kwalificatie. 25 July 2019. nrc.nl . NRC Handelsblad . 1 November 2019. nl.
  10. News: Eindelijk eerste goal voor Wijndal: "Was even van de wereld" . 18 November 2020 . fcupdate.nl . 8 March 2020 . nl.
  11. News: Kok . Nik . Wijndal eindelijk fit en direct aanvoerder bij AZ: Dit is een goede ontwikkeling voor hem . Algemeen Dagblad . 10 September 2021 . nl.
  12. Web site: 12 July 2022 . Ajax and AZ reach agreement for Owen Wijndal . 12 July 2022 . Ajax.nl.
  13. Web site: 30 July 2022 . Ajax players lose to PSV in Johan Cruijff Shield clash . 2023-09-05 . AFC Ajax . en-US.
  14. Web site: 5 September 2023 . RAFC huurt Owen Wijndal . RAFC signs Owen Wijndal . Royal Antwerp FC . nl.
  15. Web site: 5 September 2023 . Owen Wijndal on loan to Royal Antwerp FC . AFC Ajax . en-US.
  16. News: U15 match. 28 November 2013. onsoranje.nl . KNVB . 1 November 2019.
  17. News: Owen Wijndal - Jeugd mannen onder 17. onsoranje.nl . KNVB . 1 November 2019.
  18. News: Owen Wijndal - Jeugd mannen onder 19. onsoranje.nl . KNVB . 1 November 2019.
  19. News: Owen Wijndal - Jeugd mannen beloftenelftal. onsoranje.nl . KNVB . 1 November 2019.
  20. News: Oefeninterlands, Seizoen 2018/'19 - Jong Oranje - Mexico Olympisch elftal. onsoranje.nl . KNVB . 1 November 2019.
  21. News: Oranjeselectie Voor Duels Met Polen en Italië Bestaat Uit 23 Spelers. OnsOranje.nl . . 28 August 2020 . 6 September 2020. nl.
  22. Web site: Owen Wijndal. EU-Football.info. 13 June 2021.
  23. News: Ajax provides most players for Eredivisie team of the month. 21 May 2021. 21 May 2021. Eredivisie.
  24. News: AZ breaks through the Ajax stronghold in the Eredivisie team of the month. 28 January 2022. Eredivisie.
  25. News: Owen Wijndal named as player of the month U21. 13 September 2019. Eredivisie. 13 September 2019. 21 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190921161501/https://eredivisie.nl/en-us/highlighted/owen-wijndal-named-as-player-of-the-month-u21. dead.
  26. News: Cyriel Dessers named as player of the month. 4 December 2019. Eredivisie. 31 January 2020. 30 May 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200530141232/https://eredivisie.nl/en-us/highlighted/cyriel-dessers-named-as-player-of-the-month. dead.
  27. News: Davy Klaassen is named Eredivisie player of the month. 4 December 2020. Eredivisie.
  28. News: Antony named Eredivisie player of the month. 7 January 2021. Eredivisie.