Faris Haroun facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Faris Haroun

Haroun with Royal Antwerp in 2017
Personal information
Full name	Faris Dominguere Jenny Haroun
Date of birth	(1985-09-22) 22 September 1985 (age 39)
Place of birth	Brussels, Belgium
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1993–1995	Scup Jette
1995–2002	R.W.D. Molenbeek
2002–2003	RSD Jette
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2008	Genk	104	(16)
2008–2011	Germinal Beerschot	91	(23)
2011–2014	Middlesbrough	50	(6)
2014	Blackpool	9	(0)
2014–2017	Cercle Brugge	59	(8)
2017–2023	Royal Antwerp	142	(9)
International career
2003	Belgium U18	7	(1)
2003–2004	Belgium U19	14	(1)
2004–2008	Belgium U21	24	(4)
2007–2009	Belgium	6	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Faris Haroun (born 22 September 1985) is a Belgian former professional footballer. He played as a defensive midfielder, helping protect his team's defense. Faris also played for the Belgium national team.

Playing for Clubs

Starting at Genk

Faris Haroun was born in Brussels, Belgium. He started playing football at a local club called Scup Jette. Later, he moved to R.W.D. Molenbeek and RSD Jette. His professional career began when he joined Genk.

Haroun scored a goal in his very first professional game for Genk. This happened on 20 February 2004, in a 1–0 win against R.A.E.C. Mons. He scored two more goals that season. Faris quickly became a regular player, appearing in twelve games and scoring three times.

In the 2004–05 season, Haroun played in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. He scored his first goal of that season in November 2004 against K.V. Oostende. He scored three more goals that season, including one in the final game against Cercle Brugge. He played in twenty-nine games and scored four goals.

For the 2005–06 season, Haroun made his UEFA Cup debut. He mostly came on as a substitute during this time. He signed a new contract with Genk and played in twenty-two games that season.

In the 2006–07 season, Haroun started playing more often. He scored his first goal of the season in January 2007 against Lierse. He then scored in the next three matches. Faris scored his fifth goal of the season in a big 5–0 win against K.S.K. Beveren. He faced an injury in March 2007 but returned to play in April. He finished the season with twenty-three games and five goals.

During the 2007–08 season, Haroun played in the UEFA Champions League for the first time. He sometimes started games and sometimes came off the bench. He scored his first goal of the season in January 2008 against Cercle Brugge. He scored two more goals in March and a fifth goal in May. By the end of the season, he had played thirty games and scored four goals.

Time at Germinal Beerschot

On 16 July 2008, Faris Haroun joined Germinal Beerschot on a four-year contract. He said he moved because he wanted more chances to play regularly.

Haroun made his debut for Germinal Beerschot on 30 August 2008. In his next game, he scored two goals in a 3–0 win against K.S.V. Roeselare. He quickly became a key player in the midfield. He scored his second goal of the season in November 2008. Faris scored two goals in January 2009 and two more in March. He finished the 2008–09 season with thirty-two games and eight goals.

In the 2009–10 season, Haroun continued to be a regular starter. He scored his first goal of the season in August 2009 against Genk. He then scored in the next two matches. He even scored two goals in one game against K.S.V. Roeselare in November 2009. Faris ended the season as the club's top scorer with eleven goals in thirty-two games.

Haroun scored his first goal of the 2010–11 season in the opening game against Genk. He kept his spot in the team's midfield. He scored his second goal in September 2010 against K.A.S. Eupen. A week later, he scored his third goal against Club Brugge. He played in almost every game that season. Haroun finished the season with thirty-six games and six goals. He left the club after this season.

Playing for Middlesbrough

On 18 August 2011, Faris Haroun signed a three-year contract with Middlesbrough in England. The manager, Tony Mowbray, was happy to have him, saying Faris was fit and enthusiastic.

Haroun had a great start at Middlesbrough, scoring in his first game on 21 August 2011. This was a 3–1 win over Birmingham City. He started his first full game three days later in a League Cup match. Faris scored his second goal for Middlesbrough in December 2011 against Cardiff City. Despite some injuries, he played in thirty-five games and scored two goals in the 2011–12 season.

In the 2012–13 season, Haroun scored his first goal against Hull City. He dribbled past the goalkeeper to score in a 2–0 win. He scored two more goals in December 2012 against Peterborough United. However, he had some injuries, including a calf injury and a hamstring injury. He scored his fourth goal of the season in February 2013 against Crystal Palace. He played in twenty-nine games and scored four goals that season.

Haroun played only one game for Middlesbrough in the 2013–14 season. He found it hard to get playing time. On 30 January 2014, his contract with Middlesbrough ended by agreement.

Short Time at Blackpool

On 31 January 2014, Haroun joined Blackpool until the end of the 2013–14 season.

He made his debut for Blackpool on 1 February 2014 against Blackburn Rovers. He started the next four games but then mostly stayed on the substitute bench. He played in nine games for Blackpool. At the end of the season, he left the club.

Return to Belgium with Cercle Brugge

After being without a club for six months, Haroun signed with Cercle Brugge on 12 November 2014.

Haroun made his debut for Cercle Brugge on 22 November 2014. He quickly became a regular player in the midfield. He had some ankle injuries in early 2015. He played thirteen games that season as Cercle Brugge was moved down to the second division.

For the 2015–16 season, Haroun stayed with Cercle Brugge. He continued to be a key player. He scored his first goal for the club on 12 September 2015 against ASV Geel. He scored his second goal in a 1–0 win against Patro Eisden. He also captained the team in several matches. He scored his third goal in January 2016 and two more later in the season. He played thirty games and scored five goals.

In the 2016–17 season, Haroun was still with Cercle Brugge. In the first game, he received a red card. After his suspension, he returned and helped set up a goal in a 4–1 win. He also set up two goals in another match. He scored his first goal of the season in September 2016. He was a regular starter and captain. He scored two more goals before leaving the club in December 2016. He played eighteen games and scored three goals that season.

Success at Royal Antwerp

Faris Haroun signed a two-year contract with Royal Antwerp on 26 December 2016. He said he was excited to join and would give his all for the team.

Haroun made his Royal Antwerp debut on 6 January 2017. He quickly became a regular player in the midfield. He had a hamstring injury in February 2017 but returned to help his team win promotion to the top Belgian league. He played nine games for the club that season.

In the 2017–18 season, Haroun continued to be a key player and captain for Royal Antwerp. He scored his first goal of the season on 19 August 2017. He scored his second goal in December 2017. He played in thirty-three games and scored three goals that season.

For the 2018–19 season, Haroun remained a regular starter and captain. He scored his first goal on 19 August 2018 against Club Brugge. He signed a new contract with the club in September 2018. He scored his second goal two days later. He scored his third goal in a draw against Gent. He scored two more goals in October. He faced some injuries but still played thirty-four games and scored five goals.

Before the 2019–20 season, Haroun signed another two-year contract, staying until 2021. He continued to be a key player and captain. He helped set up the first goal of the season in August 2019. He broke his arm, which kept him out for a month. He returned in January 2020. He played in both legs of the Belgian Cup semi-finals, helping his team reach the final. The season ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of the 2019–20 season, Haroun had played 33 games.

Haroun continued to play for Royal Antwerp until 2023. He helped the team win the Belgian Pro League and the Belgian Cup in the 2022–23 season.

Playing for His Country

Haroun could play for either Belgium or Chad. He chose to play for Belgium.

Youth Teams

Faris played for the Belgium U18 and Belgium U19 teams. He played in the 2004 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.

Later, he joined the Belgium U21 squad. He scored his first U21 goal in March 2005. He scored another U21 goal in October 2005. In September 2006, he scored two goals in one game. He played in the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where Belgium reached the semi-finals.

In July 2008, Haroun was chosen for the Belgium team at the 2008 Summer Olympics. He played his first game in the tournament against China. He scored his first goal in the tournament against New Zealand. He helped the team reach the semi-finals, finishing in fourth place. He played five games in the tournament.

Senior Team

Faris Haroun was called up to the Belgium senior squad for the first time on 16 May 2007. He made his debut on 6 June 2007 against Finland. He played three more games that year.

Two years later, in May 2009, Haroun was called up to the Belgium team again. He started in two matches against Chile and Japan.

Family Life

Faris Haroun is married to Katie Sinclair, who is from Australia. They have a baby boy.

Faris is the older brother of Nadjim Haroun. He is also the cousin of Kévin Nicaise. Both Nadjim and Kévin play for the Chad national football team.

Career Statistics

Club

Honours

Genk

• Jupiler League runner-up: 2006–07

Antwerp

• Belgian Pro League: 2022–23
• Belgian Cup: 2019–20, 2022–23

See also

In Spanish: Faris Haroun para niños