Lars Veldwijk facts for kids
Veldwijk with Nottingham Forest
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lars Veldwijk | ||
| Date of birth | 21 August 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Uithoorn, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
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Current team
|
Gulf United | ||
| Youth career | |||
| SV Argon | |||
| FC Volendam | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2011 | FC Volendam | 2 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | Utrecht | 5 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | → Dordrecht (loan) | 31 | (14) |
| 2013–2014 | Excelsior | 38 | (30) |
| 2014–2016 | Nottingham Forest | 12 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → PEC Zwolle (loan) | 33 | (14) |
| 2016–2017 | Kortrijk | 9 | (1) |
| 2017 | → Aalesund (loan) | 16 | (5) |
| 2017–2018 | Groningen | 18 | (4) |
| 2018–2020 | Sparta Rotterdam | 42 | (27) |
| 2020 | Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors | 10 | (1) |
| 2020–2023 | Suwon FC | 110 | (40) |
| 2024 | Castellón | 6 | (0) |
| 2024 | BG Pathum United | 0 | (0) |
| 2025– | Gulf United | 11 | (12) |
| International career | |||
| 2016–2019 | South Africa | 8 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 May 2025 | |||
Lars Veldwijk (born 21 August 1991) is a professional soccer player. He plays as a striker for UAE First Division League club Gulf United. Lars was born in the Netherlands, but he represents the South Africa national team.
Club Career Highlights
Playing for Excelsior
Veldwijk played for Eerste Divisie team Excelsior during the 2013–14 season. He scored an impressive 35 goals in 45 games across all competitions.
Time at Nottingham Forest
On 12 June 2014, Veldwijk joined Nottingham Forest from Excelsior. He made his first appearance on 16 August 2014 against Bolton Wanderers. His first start for Forest was on 26 August 2014 in a 2–0 win against Huddersfield Town.
Loan to PEC Zwolle
Veldwijk was loaned to PEC Zwolle for the 2015–16 season. During this time, he scored 14 goals in 33 league games. After returning to Forest, he scored his only goal for the club on 23 August 2016. This goal came in a 2–1 win against Millwall in the EFL Cup.
Moving to KV Kortrijk
In mid-2016, Veldwijk joined Belgian team KV Kortrijk. He played 9 games and scored 1 goal for the club. Later, he went on loan to Aalesund in Norway.
Loan to Aalesunds FK
On 31 March 2017, Veldwijk joined Norwegian club Aalesunds FK on a loan for the season. He did well in the Eliteserien, helping with 8 goals in 16 games.
Joining FC Groningen
Veldwijk then moved to Dutch team FC Groningen. He started well in his first season back in Dutch football. However, he later had issues with the club and they decided to part ways.
Success at Sparta Rotterdam
On 16 June 2018, Veldwijk signed with Sparta Rotterdam on a free transfer. In his first season, he helped the team get promoted back to the Eredivisie. He scored 24 goals and made 3 assists, which was his best performance yet. This also led to him being called back to the national team.
Playing in South Korea
On 15 January 2020, Veldwijk signed with South Korea's champions, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. He made his first official appearance in March during an AFC Champions League game. His league debut was in May, where he scored a winning goal in the 93rd minute.
Time at Suwon FC
On 17 July 2020, Veldwijk joined K League 2 team Suwon FC. He signed a contract that lasted until December 31, 2022. In the 2021 K League 1 season, he scored 18 goals in 32 games and had 6 assists. This made him the top South African goalscorer worldwide that year.
His contract with Suwon FC ended on 30 September 2023. This happened after an off-field incident that led to his driver's license being revoked. He left the club having scored 40 goals in 110 games.
Return to Europe with Castellón
On 1 February 2024, Veldwijk returned to Europe and joined Spanish team CD Castellón. They were playing in the third tier of Spanish football. He signed a six-month contract. He missed most of the season due to injury but did play in two promotion play-off games. His team was promoted to the Spanish Second Division.
Move to BG Pathum United
After leaving Castellón, Veldwijk joined Thai team BG Pathum United. Injuries kept him out for the first half of the season. He did get an assist in a 4-0 win over Borussia Dortmund. On 1 January 2025, he and the club agreed to end his contract.
Current Club: Gulf United
Veldwijk then joined UAE First Division League team Gulf United in January 2025. He started strong, scoring in his first game, a 2-1 win. He seems to be back to his best goal-scoring form.
International Career
Even though Lars Veldwijk was born in the Netherlands, he could play for South Africa. This was because of his father's family background. He was first called up for South Africa in October 2016. He made his debut in a friendly game against Mozambique the next month.
After some time away, he rejoined the national team in 2019. He played in his first international tournament, the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. South Africa reached the quarter-finals, and Veldwijk played in five games as a substitute.
Personal Life
Lars Veldwijk was in a relationship with television presenter Monica Geuze. They have a daughter together, who was born in July 2018. Monica Geuze and Lars Veldwijk separated in November 2019. He also has a son born in 2015 from an earlier relationship.
Honours
Individual Awards
- Eerste Divisie top scorer: 2013–14
- K League 1 Best XI: 2021
