Bryan Smeets

Bryan Smeets
Personal information
Full name Bryan George Jeffrey Smeets[1]
Date of birth (1992-11-22) 22 November 1992
Place of birth Maastricht, Netherlands
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 MVV
Number 5
Youth career
MVV
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2015 MVV 144 (23)
2015–2017 De Graafschap 52 (4)
2017–2018 Cambuur 7 (0)
2018–2019 TOP Oss 37 (12)
2019–2022 Sparta Rotterdam 68 (10)
2022 Lommel 10 (1)
2022–2023 RWD Molenbeek 14 (0)
2023– MVV 67 (14)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15 May 2025

Bryan George Jeffrey Smeets (born 22 November 1992) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eerste Divisie club MVV.

Club career

He formerly played for MVV Maastricht, De Graafschap and SC Cambuur. He is best known the myth of Bryan scoring the equalizer against Ajax in 2016, which dramatically decided the winner of the Eredivisie title to be PSV Eindhoven.

On 1 February 2022, Smeets signed with Lommel in Belgium.[2]

Only months later, on 18 May 2022, Smeets was announced as the first signing ahead of the 2022–23 season for RWDM.[3] He signed a two-year deal with an option for an additional year.[3] In December 2022, he was told by club management that he was unwanted and could leave.[4] In April 2023, he started practicing with his former club De Graafschap.[5]

Smeets returned to MVV Maastricht in June 2023, signing a three-year contract through 30 June 2026.[6][7] Local media described him during the 2024–25 season as him as MVV's playmaker and "architect" in midfield[8][9]

Ahead of the 2025–26 season, Smeets requested a transfer, and MVV confirmed that he had been excused from first-team duties while he sought a move.[10] When no deal materialised, he was demoted to the under-21 squad, and in September 2025, it was announced that he would remain outside the senior squad at least until the winter break.[11][12]

International career

He was part of the Netherlands squad at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

Career statistics

As of match played 9 May 2025
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
MVV 2009–10 Eerste Divisie 4 0 0 0 — 4 0
2010–11 Eerste Divisie 13 1 0 0 2[b] 0 15 1
2011–12 Eerste Divisie 24 3 2 1 2[b] 0 28 4
2012–13 Eerste Divisie 32 8 1 1 2[b] 0 35 10
2013–14 Eerste Divisie 36 5 2 0 — 38 5
2014–15 Eerste Divisie 35 6 2 0 — 37 6
Total 144 23 7 2 6 0 157 25
De Graafschap 2015–16 Eredivisie 28 1 1 0 4[b] 1 33 2
2016–17 Eerste Divisie 24 3 1 0 — 25 3
Total 52 4 2 0 4 1 58 5
Cambuur 2017–18 Eerste Divisie 7 0 3 0 — 10 0
TOP Oss 2018–19 Eerste Divisie 37 12 2 0 2[b] 0 41 12
Sparta Rotterdam 2019–20[c] Eredivisie 22 4 1 0 — 23 4
2020–21 Eredivisie 26 4 0 0 1[d] 0 27 4
2021–22 Eerste Divisie 20 2 2 0 — 22 2
Total 68 10 3 0 1 0 72 10
Lommel 2021–22 First Division B 10 1 — — 10 1
RWD Molenbeek 2022–23 Challenger Pro League 14 0 1 0 — 15 0
MVV 2023–24 Eerste Divisie 33 10 1 0 — 34 10
2024–25 Eerste Divisie 34 5 2 0 — 36 5
Total 67 15 3 0 — 70 15
Career total 399 65 20 2 13 1 433 68
  1. ^ Includes KNVB Cup, Belgian Cup
  2. ^ a b c d e Appearances in Eredivisie promotion/relegation playoffs
  3. ^ Season curtailed due to COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands
  4. ^ Appearance(s) in Eredivisie European play-offs

References

  1. ^ "List of Players – 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  2. ^ "Welkom Bryan Smeets!" (Press release) (in Dutch). Lommel. 1 February 2022. Archived from the original on 31 January 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Welkom Bryan Smeets !". RWDM (in Flemish). 18 May 2022. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  4. ^ "Bryan Smeets mag van RWDM uitkijken naar een andere club". De Limburger (in Dutch). 12 December 2022. Archived from the original on 13 December 2022. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  5. ^ Delbeke, Michael (18 April 2023). "Bryan Smeets (op een zijspoor bij RWDM) traint mee met ex-club De Graafschap". Het Nieuwsblad (in Flemish). Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Bryan Smeets terug op het rood-witte nest". MVV (Press release) (in Dutch). 30 June 2023. Archived from the original on 30 June 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  7. ^ "Ajax-plaaggeest keert terug in Nederland: 'Erg blij dat hij voor ons koos'". Voetbalprimeur (in Dutch). 2 July 2023. Archived from the original on 2 July 2023. Retrieved 2 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Bryan Smeets hoopte meer van MVV te horen na uitspreken vertrekwens". RTV Maastricht (in Dutch). 30 June 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  9. ^ "MVV stijgt boven zichzelf uit in De Geusselt". De Nieuwe Ster Maastricht (in Dutch). 27 September 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  10. ^ "Bryan Smeets voorlopig vrijgesteld van werkzaamheden bij MVV". MVV Maastricht (in Dutch). 21 July 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  11. ^ "Bryan Smeets traint voorlopig mee met onder 21-team van MVV". RTV Maastricht (in Dutch). 25 August 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
  12. ^ "Smeets zeker tot winterstop niet welkom bij eerste elftal MVV". RTV Maastricht (in Dutch). 9 September 2025. Retrieved 27 September 2025.
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