Jasper Cillessen facts for kids
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Cillessen with NEC in 2024
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Jacobus Antonius Peter Johannes Cillessen | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 22 April 1989 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Nijmegen, Netherlands | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Las Palmas | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2001 | De Treffers | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2010 | NEC | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2011 | NEC | 34 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2016 | Ajax | 101 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Jong Ajax | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2019 | Barcelona | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2022 | Valencia | 51 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | NEC | 62 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Las Palmas | 27 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2023 | Netherlands | 65 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 27 March 2023 |
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Jasper Cillessen (born on April 22, 1989) is a Dutch professional footballer. He plays as a goalkeeper for the Spanish club Las Palmas.
Jasper joined the youth team of NEC in 2001. He made his first professional appearance for them in 2010. A year later, he moved to Ajax. He played 141 matches for Ajax over six seasons. During this time, he helped them win three Eredivisie titles. In 2016, he joined Barcelona. He then moved to Valencia in 2019. After three seasons there, he returned to NEC.
In May 2011, Jasper was first called up to the Netherlands national team. He played his first international match in 2013. He was the main goalkeeper for his country when they finished third at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Playing for Clubs: Jasper's Journey
Starting Out at NEC
Jasper Cillessen was born in Nijmegen, Netherlands. He grew up in a nearby town called Groesbeek. He started playing football for his local youth team, De Treffers. In 2001, he was scouted and joined the NEC/FC Oss youth academy.
In 2008, Jasper signed his first professional contract with NEC. He began playing for their reserve team. In 2010, he signed a new contract with NEC until June 2012.
Jasper made his first team debut on August 28, 2010. This happened because the main goalkeeper, Gábor Babos, was injured. Jasper played in a 2–2 draw against SC Heerenveen. He was even named the best player of that match. Even after Babos returned, Jasper kept his spot as the starting goalkeeper. He signed another contract extension until 2014. At the end of the 2010–11 season, Jasper was named the Gelderland Footballer of the Year.
Moving to Ajax
On August 27, 2011, NEC and Ajax agreed on Jasper's transfer. He moved to the Amsterdam club for about €3 million. He signed a five-year contract, which lasted until 2016.
Jasper played his first game for Ajax on September 21, 2011. It was a KNVB Cup match against VV Noordwijk. He played the whole game, and Ajax won 3–1. He made his first league appearance for Ajax on October 23, 2011. This was in a match against their rivals, Feyenoord. He came on as a substitute after the starting goalkeeper received a red card. Jasper helped Ajax get a 1–1 draw, even though they were playing with ten men.
Jasper became a regular starter for Ajax during the 2013 pre-season. The manager, Frank de Boer, said both of his top goalkeepers would get a chance. Jasper then started playing many games for Ajax in the Eredivisie.
Time at Barcelona
On August 25, 2016, Jasper signed a five-year contract with Barcelona. The transfer fee was €13 million, plus an extra €2 million later. He joined to replace Claudio Bravo. After only three training sessions, he played his first game. It was a La Liga match against Alavés. Barcelona lost 1–2.
During his time at Barcelona, Jasper played a big role in the Copa del Rey cup. He played in 17 out of 18 matches in this competition during the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons. Barcelona won the trophy in both seasons. This made them four-time winners of the Copa del Rey in a row.
On January 30, 2019, he saved his first penalty kick in a professional game. This happened after 20 attempts in other matches. It was in a 6–1 home win against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey. This win helped Barcelona reach the semi-finals.
Playing for Valencia
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On June 25, 2019, Jasper signed a four-year contract with Valencia. The fee was €35 million. This made him one of the most expensive transfers in the club's history. He played his first game on August 17, 2019. It was a 1–1 home draw against Real Sociedad in La Liga.
Back to NEC
Jasper Cillessen returned to his former club, NEC, in August 2022. He agreed to a three-year contract with them.
Joining Las Palmas
On June 19, 2024, Jasper moved back to Spain. He signed a two-year deal with Las Palmas, which plays in Spain's top football league.
Playing for His Country: Netherlands
Youth Teams
In October 2010, Jasper was called up to the Netherlands national under-21 team. This was for play-off matches against Ukraine.
Senior National Team
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After the 2010–11 season, Jasper was considered for the senior Netherlands squad. This was for friendly matches against Uruguay and Brazil. The manager, Bert van Marwijk, chose Jasper for the trip to South America. On May 7, 2012, Jasper was on the first list of 36 players for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament.
On June 7, 2013, Jasper played his first game for the Netherlands national team. This was under manager Louis van Gaal. Jasper played the first half of a friendly match against Indonesia. The Netherlands won 3–0. He was replaced by Kenneth Vermeer in the second half. Together, they kept a clean sheet.
In June 2014, Jasper was chosen for the Netherlands' squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He wore the number 1 jersey. He started in the team's first match, a 5–1 win against Spain. He played in every match during the tournament. The Netherlands finished in third place. However, in the quarter-final against Costa Rica, Louis van Gaal surprisingly substituted him for Tim Krul before the penalty shootout. The Dutch team won the shootout.
Jasper was initially selected for the Dutch squad for Euro 2020 as their starting goalkeeper. On June 1, 2021, he was removed from the squad. This was due to a positive COVID-19 test. He later said that the manager knew about the virus when he was first picked. He also said he was fit to play.
Awards and Achievements
Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2013
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2017–18, 2018–19
- Copa del Rey: 2016–17, 2017–18
- Supercopa de España: 2018
Netherlands
- FIFA World Cup third place: 2014
- UEFA Nations League runner-up: 2018–19
Individual Awards
- Gelderland Footballer of the Year: 2011
- Gillette Player of the Year: 2014
- Ajax Player of the Year (Rinus Michels Award): 2014–15, 2015–16
- Eredivisie Team of the Month: September 2022, February 2023
See also
In Spanish: Jasper Cillessen para niños
