Wesley Sonck facts for kids
Sonck pictured in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 9 August 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Ninove, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
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Current team
|
Belgium U19 (manager) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1998 | Molenbeek | 33 | (11) |
| 1998–1999 | Germinal Ekeren | 32 | (7) |
| 1999–2000 | Germinal Beerschot | 28 | (11) |
| 2000–2003 | Genk | 93 | (66) |
| 2003–2005 | Ajax | 34 | (10) |
| 2005–2008 | Borussia Mönchengladbach | 28 | (6) |
| 2007–2008 | → Club Brugge (loan) | 21 | (6) |
| 2008–2010 | Club Brugge | 50 | (21) |
| 2010–2012 | Lierse | 32 | (6) |
| 2012–2013 | Waasland-Beveren | 16 | (1) |
| 2014 | KE Appelterre-Eichem | 9 | (9) |
| Total | 376 | (154) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996 | Belgium U18 | 4 | (1) |
| 1997–1999 | Belgium U21 | 11 | (8) |
| 2001–2010 | Belgium | 55 | (24) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2017–2020 | Belgium U18 | ||
| 2020–2024 | Belgium U19 | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Wesley Sonck (born August 9, 1978) is a Belgian football manager and former player. He is currently the manager for the Belgium U19 national team. As a player, he was a striker, known for scoring goals. He played for several clubs, including Genk, Ajax, and Club Brugge. He also played for the Belgian national team.
While playing for Genk, Wesley Sonck was the top goal scorer in the Belgian First Division. He scored 30 goals in the 2001–02 season. The next season, he was again a top scorer with 22 goals.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Time at Ajax
Wesley Sonck joined Ajax, a famous Dutch club, in the summer of 2003. He was brought in to replace another striker who had left. He played his first game for Ajax on August 12 against Grazer AK. About a month later, on September 13, he scored his first goal for the club.
However, Sonck did not fully settle in at Ajax. His coach often played him on the right side of the field, not in his usual striker position. Because of this, he moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach in Germany in late 2004.
Playing in Germany
Sonck's time with Borussia Mönchengladbach in the German Bundesliga was tough due to injuries. He signed a permanent contract with the club. In the summer of 2005, he broke three ribs after a bad tackle during a friendly match.
It took him six months to recover from this injury. He returned to play and scored a goal in a game against Bayern Munich. He scored three more goals in 13 games before another injury kept him out for three months. This injury was in his knee and happened at the start of the 2006–07 season.
Return to Belgium
At the end of the 2006–07 season, Sonck left Gladbach. He went back to Belgium to play for Club Brugge on a one-year loan. Borussia Mönchengladbach had moved down to a lower league.
After the loan, Sonck joined Club Brugge permanently. In 2010, he left Brugge to join Lierse S.K. for free. He had some disagreements with his coach and wanted more playing time. One of his first goals for Lierse was an amazing overhead kick.
Sonck left Lierse in 2012. After a few months without a club, he joined Waasland-Beveren in October 2012. In January 2014, he signed with a smaller club, KE Appelterre-Eichem. He retired from playing football just three months later.
Playing for His Country
Wesley Sonck was part of the Belgian national team. He played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. During this World Cup, he scored one goal in a group stage match against Russia.
He also played for Belgium in the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup. In a match against Spain, he scored Belgium's only goal. This goal ended a long streak where Spain's goalkeepers had not let in any goals.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Wesley Sonck started coaching. On August 3, 2017, he became the manager of the Belgian U18 national team. In March 2020, he took over as the manager of the U-19 national team. He continues to coach young players for Belgium.
Awards and Achievements
Wesley Sonck received several awards during his football career:
With Genk
- Belgian First Division: 2001–02 (They won the league title)
With Ajax
- Eredivisie: 2003–04 (They won the Dutch league title)
Individual Awards
- Belgian Golden Shoe: 2001 (Award for the best player in Belgium)
- Goal of the Season: 2001 (Award for the best goal)
- Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year: 2001–02 (Voted best professional player)
- Belgian First Division A top scorer: 2001–02 (30 goals), 2002–03 (22 goals) (He scored the most goals in the league)
- Honorary citizen of Ninove: 2021 (His hometown honored him)
- Most beautiful goal of all time in the Belgian league: 2023
- Pro League Hall of Fame: 2024 (Recognized as one of the best players in Belgian league history)
See also
In Spanish: Wesley Sonck para niños
