Mike Havenaar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mike Havenaar
ハーフナー・マイク

Havenaar in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Mike Havenaar
Date of birth	(1987-05-20) 20 May 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth	Hiroshima, Japan
Height	1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
	Sapporo FC
2000–2002	Consadole Sapporo
2003–2005	Yokohama F. Marinos
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2010	Yokohama F. Marinos	26	(0)
2008	→ Avispa Fukuoka (loan)	26	(7)
2009	→ Sagan Tosu (loan)	33	(15)
2010–2011	Ventforet Kofu	63	(37)
2012–2014	Vitesse	79	(26)
2014	Córdoba	5	(0)
2015	HJK Helsinki	20	(4)
2015–2017	ADO Den Haag	59	(25)
2017–2020	Vissel Kobe	13	(3)
2018	→ Vegalta Sendai (loan)	6	(1)
2019	→ Bangkok United (loan)	7	(3)
2020	Ventforet Kofu	14	(0)
2021–2022	Bombonera Gifu	15	(6)
International career‡
2005–2007	Japan U-20	10	(18)
2011–2016	Japan	18	(4)
Medal record Vegalta Sendai Runner-up Emperor's Cup 2018 Representing  Japan AFC U-19 Championship Silver 2006 India
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 05:43, 5 January 2023 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 March 2016

Mike Havenaar (ハーフナー・マイク, Hāfunā Maiku, born 20 May 1987) is a Japanese former professional football player. He played as a forward, which is a position focused on scoring goals.

Early Life and Family

Mike Havenaar was born in Hiroshima, Japan, but his parents were from the Netherlands. They moved to Japan in 1986 because his father, Dido, was also a professional football player. Dido signed with a team called Mazda FC, which is now known as Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Havenaar's mother was a talented athlete who was a national champion in the heptathlon, an event with seven different track and field contests. His younger brother, Nikki, is also a footballer. In 1994, the Havenaar family officially became Japanese citizens.

Club Career

Havenaar's football journey began with the youth team of Consadole Sapporo, where his father played and later coached. When his father moved to the Yokohama F. Marinos, a top team in Japan, Mike joined their youth program.

Starting in Japan

In 2006, Havenaar was promoted to the Yokohama F. Marinos' main team. He made his professional debut on April 15, 2006. This was a special moment because he and his father became the first father-son pair to both play in Japan's top football league, the J1 League.

After his time with the Marinos, he was sent on loan to two other clubs, Avispa Fukuoka and Sagan Tosu. A loan is when a player temporarily plays for a different team. He played well for both clubs.

Havenaar playing for Ventforet Kofu in 2010

In 2010, Havenaar joined Ventforet Kofu. He had a fantastic season, scoring 20 goals in 30 games. His goals helped the team get promoted to the J1 League. The next year, back in the top league, he scored 17 goals and was named one of the best players of the season, receiving the J. League Best Eleven award.

Moving to Europe

Vitesse

Havenaar's success in Japan caught the attention of European clubs. On December 21, 2011, he signed with the Dutch team Vitesse. He chose Vitesse over other teams, including the German club Wolfsburg.

He scored his first goal for Vitesse in a match against PSV. He quickly became an important player for the team, scoring and creating goals. In a game against De Graafschap, he scored to help his team win 2–0. Over his time at Vitesse, he scored 26 goals in 79 matches.

Córdoba and HJK Helsinki

In July 2014, Havenaar moved to Spain to play for Córdoba CF in La Liga, one of the world's best football leagues. He played against famous teams like Real Madrid.

After a short time in Spain, he joined HJK Helsinki in Finland in 2015. He helped the team win the Finnish League Cup by scoring a goal in the final match.

ADO Den Haag

In August 2015, Havenaar returned to the Netherlands to play for ADO Den Haag. He had two great seasons there, scoring a total of 27 goals. He was a key striker for the team before deciding to return to Japan in 2017.

Return to Japan and Later Career

In 2017, Havenaar joined Vissel Kobe in the J1 League. He later played for Vegalta Sendai and had a brief spell in Thailand with Bangkok United. He finished his professional career playing for Bombonera Gifu from 2021 to 2022.

International Career

Because he is a Japanese citizen, Havenaar was able to play for the Japan national team. In 2007, he was part of the Japan U-20 team at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada.

He made his first appearance for the main national team on September 2, 2011, in a World Cup qualifying match. On October 11, 2011, he scored his first two goals for Japan in an 8–0 victory against Tajikistan. In total, he played 18 games for Japan and scored 4 goals.

Personal Life

Havenaar can speak three languages. He grew up speaking both Japanese and Dutch, and he learned English at an international school in Yokohama.

He got married in 2011, and his first daughter was born that same year.

Career Statistics

This table shows how many games Havenaar played and how many goals he scored for his main clubs and the national team.

Club

International

Honors

HJK Helsinki

• Finnish League Cup: 2015

See also

In Spanish: Mike Havenaar para niños