Kjell Scherpen (born 23 January 2000) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Belgian Pro League club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.
_54.jpg) Scherpen with Sturm Graz in 2025 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kjell Scherpen[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 23 January 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Emmen, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Union Saint-Gilloise | ||
| Number | 37 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2011 | VV Emmen[3] | ||
| 2011–2016 | Emmen | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2019 | Emmen | 35 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Jong Ajax | 29 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Ajax | 2 | (0) |
| 2021–2025 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 0 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Oostende (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | → Vitesse (loan) | 26 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | → Sturm Graz (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | → Sturm Graz (loan) | 30 | (0) |
| 2025– | Union Saint-Gilloise | 32 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2018 | Netherlands U19 | 7 | (0) |
| 2019–2023 | Netherlands U21 | 18 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18:30, 24 May 2026 (UTC) | |||
Club career
editFC Emmen
editScherpen began his senior career with FC Emmen in the 2016–17 season.[4][5]
Ajax
edit.jpg)
In April 2019 it was announced that Scherpen would sign for Ajax in June 2019.[6] His 'signing video' involved him writing the words "Ajax is de mooiste club van Nederland" (Ajax is the most beautiful club in the Netherlands) 1,000 times, as he had been a childhood supporter of rival club Feyenoord.[7]
Scherpen made his debut for the Ajax senior team on 4 April 2021, as starter Maarten Stekelenburg was injured shortly before kickoff.[8][9]
Brighton & Hove Albion
editScherpen was linked with a loan move to Eredivisie side PEC Zwolle,[10] but on 16 July 2021, he signed for Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion permanently for an undisclosed fee.[11][12] He made his debut on 8 January 2022, in a 2–1 (after extra-time) away victory over Championship side West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup third round.[13]
On 31 January 2022, Scherpen signed for Oostende of Belgian First Division A on loan for the remainder of the season.[14] He moved on loan to Vitesse in August 2022.[15]
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On 6 July 2023, Scherpen signed a season-long loan deal with Austrian Football Bundesliga club Sturm Graz.[16]
In December 2023, Scherpen signed a new contract with the club until 2027.[17] He returned on loan to Sturm Graz for the 2024–25 season.[18]
Royal Union Saint-Gilloise
editOn 24 July 2025, Scherpen signed for Belgian Pro League club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise for an undisclosed fee.[19]
International career
editPersonal life
editWhen he was 18 years old, his older brother Jorg (20) died after having been in a coma following a sudden cardiac arrest.[23]
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 14 May 2026[4]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Europe | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FC Emmen | 2017–18 | Eerste Divisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | Eredivisie | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 0 | |||
| Total | 35 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 0 | ||||
| Jong Ajax | 2019–20 | Eerste Divisie | 14 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | Eerste Divisie | 15 | 0 | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
| Ajax | 2019–20 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | Eredivisie | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1[c] | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | ||
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 2021–22 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2024–25 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Oostende (loan) | 2021–22 | Belgian Pro League | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Vitesse (loan) | 2022–23 | Eredivisie | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 0 | ||
| Sturm Graz (loan) | 2023–24 | Austrian Bundesliga | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 8[d] | 0 | 27 | 0 | |
| Sturm Graz (loan) | 2024–25 | Austrian Bundesliga | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 6[e] | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| Union Saint-Gilloise | 2025–26 | Belgian Pro League | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 8[e] | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| Career total | 174 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 210 | 0 | ||
- ↑ Includes KNVB Cup, FA Cup, Austrian Cup
- ↑ Includes EFL Cup
- ↑ Appearance in UEFA Europa League
- ↑ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, six in UEFA Europa League
- 1 2 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
Honours
editReferences
edit- ↑ "2021/22 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ↑ Sports+, DH Les (17 March 2022). "Kjell Scherpen, portier d'Ostende, se raconte: "Je ne peux pas juste me reposer sur mes 2,06 m"". DH Les Sports +.
- ↑ Jeuring, Frank (19 April 2019). "Amateurs VV Emmen apetrots op transfer Kjell Scherpen: 'Als jochie stond-ie al goed op de voorvoeten'". Dagblad van het Noorden. NDC. Retrieved 8 August 2020.
- 1 2 3 4 Kjell Scherpen at Soccerway. Retrieved 2 May 2018.
- ↑ Kjell Scherpen at WorldFootball.net
- ↑ "Kjell Scherpen (FC Emmen) rejoindra l'Ajax Amsterdam cet été" (in French). 25 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ↑ "Ajax transfer news, Kjell Scherpen writing 1000 lines, Edwin van der Sar, Marc Overmars". 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ↑ "Verslag | Moeizame zege in Friesland". AFC Ajax (in Dutch). Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- ↑ AFC Ajax [@AFCAjax] (4 April 2021). "We are forced into an substitution, as an injury to Stekelenburg sees him replaced by Scherpen. #heeaja https://t.co/Fdd8ewIlxw" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 4 April 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021 – via Twitter.
- ↑ "Doelman Kjell Scherpen op huurbasis naar PEC Zwolle". RTV Drenthe (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ↑ Hazlewood, Paul (16 July 2021). "Albion sign keeper Kjell". Brighton & Hove Albion. Archived from the original on 16 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
- ↑ "Ajax goalkeeper Scherpen joins Brighton". BBC Sport. BBC. 16 July 2021.
- ↑ "West Bromwich Albion 1–2 Brighton & Hove Albion: Neal Maupay hits extra-time winner". BBC Sport. BBC. 8 January 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- ↑ "Kjell Scherpen joins Oostende on loan". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 1 February 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
- ↑ "Brighton goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen joins Vitesse Arnhem on season-long loan". The Independent. 16 August 2022.
- ↑ "Kjell Scherpen joins Sturm Graz on loan". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 6 July 2023. Archived from the original on 23 February 2025. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ↑ "Albion keeper signs new deal after season is ended by knee surgery". The Argus. 26 December 2023.
- ↑ "Kjell Scherpen joins Sturm Graz on loan". Brighton & Hove Albion. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
- ↑ "Brighton news: Goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen signs for Union Saint-Gilloise". BBC Sport. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
- ↑ "OnsOranje". www.onsoranje.nl. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ↑ "OnsOranje". www.onsoranje.nl. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
- ↑ "Scherpen gets senior call-up". Brighton & Hove Albion. 6 June 2022. Archived from the original on 6 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
- ↑ "Broer (20) van FC Emmen-doelman Scherpen overleden". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 19 February 2019.
- ↑ "Royale Union Saint-Gilloise edge Anderlecht in extra time to win Belgian Cup". flashscore.com. 14 May 2026. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ "Scherpen and Yalcouye win prestigious Bundesliga awards". www.brightonandhovealbion.com. Retrieved 21 August 2025.