Louis Verstraete (West Flemish: [ˈloː.i vɛrˈstraː.tə];[1] born 4 May 1999) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for A-League club Auckland FC.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 4 May 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | Brussels, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Auckland FC | ||
| Number | 6 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2016 | Gent | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2020 | Gent | 15 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | → Waasland-Beveren (loan) | 41 | (3) |
| 2020–2021 | Antwerp | 7 | (0) |
| 2020 | → Oostende (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2021 | → Waasland-Beveren (loan) | 5 | (3) |
| 2021–2024 | Beveren | 59 | (3) |
| 2024– | Auckland FC | 49 | (4) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2016 | Belgium U17 | 5 | (0) |
| 2016 | Belgium U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | Belgium U19 | 10 | (1) |
| 2019 | Belgium U21 | 3 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 29 April 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18:41, 16 October 2019 (UTC) | |||
Club career
editGent
editIn 2016, Verstraete signed a contract until 2018 with K.A.A. Gent's first team.[2] On 22 December 2016, he made his senior team debut in the Belgian First Division A against Anderlecht, replacing Jérémy Perbet in the 83rd minute.[3] On 16 March 2017, he scored his first senior goal for Gent in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 return game at Genk, making him the youngest goal scorer of that season's competition.[4]
Loan to Waasland-Beveren
editIn December 2018, Verstraete moved to Belgium side Waasland-Beveren, on a loan deal until the end of the season.[5]
Royal Antwerp
editIn January 2020, Verstraete signed a contract for 3.5 years with Jupiler Pro League club Royal Antwerp, and was loaned to KV Oostende for the first six months.[6]
Loan to Waasland-Beveren (second stint)
editIn January 2021, Verstraete moved again on loan to Waasland-Beveren, until the end of the season.[7] The loan deal includes a purchase option.[7] On 18 April 2021, Verstraete became match winner for Waasland-Beveren in a crucial must-win match against Oud-Heverlee Leuven, in which he scored two goals to help the club avoid direct relegation.[8]
Auckland FC
editOn 17 September 2024, Verstraete joined Auckland FC for their inaugural A-League Men's season, alongside two other international visa players, Luis Felipe Gallegos and Guillermo May. On 1 February 2025, Verstraete scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 win over Macarthur FC.[9] On 9 March, in a 1–1 draw with the Newcastle Jets, Verstraete received his first red card for the club, becoming only the second player in Auckland FC’s history to be sent off, after Adama Coulibaly.[10]
Verstraete made 25 appearances during the 2024–25 season, scoring two goals and providing three assists as Auckland secured the Premiership. His performances earned him a place in the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) A-League Team of the Season, alongside teammates Hiroki Sakai, Francis de Vries, and Alex Paulsen.[11][12]
Verstraete scored his first goal of the 2025–26 season in a 2–1 win over Adelaide United.[13] Verstraete was awarded Auckland FC's A-League Men Most Valuable Player for the season.[14] Verstraete missed just two matches across the campaign and finished the regular season with two goals and three assists in 24 regular season matches.[15][16]
Career statistics
edit- As of 7 December 2018[17]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Gent | 2016–17 | Belgian First Division A | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 1 |
| 2017–18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | ||
| Total | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 2 | ||
| Waasland-Beveren (loan) | 2017–18 | Belgian First Division A | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| 2018–19 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 31 | 2 | ||
| Total | 28 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 42 | 3 | ||
| K.V. Oostende (loan) | 2019–20 | Belgian First Division A | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Career total | 40 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 59 | 5 | ||
Honours
editAuckland FC
References
edit- ↑ "Instagram".
- ↑ "Louis Verstraete - KAA GENT". kaagent.be. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ↑ "Gent vs. Anderlecht - 22 December 2016 - Soccerway". us.soccerway.com. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- ↑ "KAA Gent on Twitter: Congratulations Louis Verstraete with your 1st European goal & on being @EuropaLeague's youngest goal scorer this season!". twitter.com. Retrieved 19 March 2017.
- ↑ "Louis Verstraete rejoint Waasland-Beveren" [Louis Verstraete joins Waasland-Beveren]. Walfoot.be (in French). 31 December 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ↑ "AA Gent-middenvelder Louis Verstraete tekent bij Antwerp, Oostende huurt hem voor 6 maanden" [AA Gent midfielder Louis Verstraete signs with Antwerp, Ostend hires him for 6 months]. Gazet van Antwerpen (in Flemish). 31 January 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- 1 2 "Louis Verstraete vertrekt op huurbasis naar Waasland-Beveren" [Louis Verstraete leaves on a rental basis to Waasland-Beveren]. Royal Antwerp FC Official Website (in Dutch). 1 February 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
- ↑ "Mirakel voor Waasland-Beveren: het wendt rechtstreekse degradatie af" [Miracle for Waasland-Beveren: direct relegation averted]. sporza.be (in Dutch). 18 April 2021. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
- ↑ "Match Report: Auckland FC 2–1 Macarthur FC". Auckland FC. 1 February 2025. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ↑ "RD22 Match Report: Newcastle Jets 1 - 1 Auckland FC". Auckland. 9 March 2025. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
- ↑ D'Urbano, Nicholas (29 May 2025). "Five Grand Finalists named as PFA announces 2024-25 A-League Men Team of the Season". The PFA. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
- ↑ sachapisani (29 May 2025). "Auckland dominate PFA's Team of the Season after historic debut as 5 Grand Finalists named". A-Leagues. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
- ↑ "Auckland vs Adelaide United, A-League Men, 1st November 2025". A-Leagues. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
- ↑ rcuthbertson (28 April 2026). "Auckland FC's Knight of Celebration". Auckland. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
- ↑ Sherry, Samuel. "Auckland FC hand out awards to club's top players ahead of elimination final". NZ Herald. Retrieved 30 April 2026.
- ↑ "Louis Verstraete (Midfielder, Auckland FC) :". Ultimate A-League. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
- ↑ "Louis Verstraete » Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ↑ jdodd (23 May 2026). "Auckland crowned Isuzu UTE A-League Champions after knocking off Sydney FC". A-Leagues. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
External links
edit- Louis Verstraete at the Royal Belgian Football Association
- Louis Verstraete at WorldFootball.net
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