Birger Maertens
Birger Maertens (born 28 June 1980) is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as a centre back. He obtained two caps for the Belgian national team.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Birger Maertens | ||
| Date of birth | 28 June 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Bruges, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Varsenare | |||
| 1994–2001 | Club Brugge | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2008 | Club Brugge | 161 | (1) |
| 2008–2012 | Heracles Almelo | 93 | (2) |
| 2012–2015 | Westerlo | 87 | (0) |
| Total | 341 | (3) | |
| National team | |||
| 1998 | Belgium U18 | 8 | (0) |
| 1999 | Belgium U19 | 2 | (0) |
| 2002 | Belgium U21 | 5 | (0) |
| 2005 | Belgium | 1 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only | |||
Club career
Club Brugge
Born in Bruges, Maertens joined Club Brugge KV in 1994. He played his first game on 9 August 2001 against Icelandic side IA Akranes (4–0) in the UEFA Cup.
Heracles Almelo
On 25 June 2008, Maertens joined the Dutch side Heracles Almelo.[1] He signed a contract until 2011. In 2009 Birger Maertens was voted 8th best overall player in the Eredivisie by Dutch football magazine Voetbal International.[2]
On 6 January 2012, it was announced he had left Heracles earlier than planned, due to personal reasons, to return to his native Belgium, and would not see out the rest of his contract.
International career
On 12 October 2005, Maertens collected his first cap for the Belgium national team in the qualification stages for the 2006 FIFA World Cup against Lithuania (1–1).
References
- "Stats Centre: Birger Maertens Facts". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
- "Er zijn meer dan zeven betere spelers in Nederland". Voetbal International.