Leendert van Steensel (born 20 April 1984) is a Dutch football coach and former professional player who manages BVV Barendrecht.

Leen van Steensel
Personal information
Date of birth (1984-04-20) 20 April 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth Rotterdam, Netherlands
Position(s) Centre back
Team information
Current team
BVV Barendrecht (head coach)
Youth career
1990–1997 Moordrecht
1997–1999 Be Fair
1999–2003 Utrecht
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2007 Utrecht 19 (1)
2007Carl Zeiss Jena (loan) 10 (0)
2007–2012 Excelsior 123 (11)
2012–2014 Capelle 46 (1)
Managerial career
2011–2012 ASW Waddinxveen
2014–2016 BGC Floreant
2019–2022 Jodan Boys
2022– BVV Barendrecht
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Van Steensel primarily played as a centre back for Utrecht, Carl Zeiss Jena, Excelsior and Capelle.[1]

Playing career

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Born in Rotterdam, Van Steensel was three years old when his family moved from Oud-Beijerland to Moordrecht. There, he became a member of VV Moordrecht the age of six.[2] Seven years later, his parents moved to Waddinxveen, and Van Steensel began playing for the local club, Be Fair. At age 15, he was scouted by FC Utrecht, and joined the youth academy of the club.[3]

On 20 November 2003, he made his professional debut for FC Utrecht. On 5 January 2007, Utrecht announced that he would be loaned out to German club Carl Zeiss Jena for the remained of the season.[4]

In May 2007, Van Steensel was signed by Excelsior.[5] He initially signed a two-year contract, but this contract was later extended. In the 2011–12 season, Van Steensel, a central defender, appeared as a striker for a few games, which ensured his status as cult hero at the club.[6] He scored twice that season, including a volley against De Graafschap.[7] After the relegation of his club Excelsior, his contract was not extended.[6] He subsequently began playing on an amateur deal at VV Capelle, where he played until 2013. In late 2013, Van Steensel announced his retirement, due to a recurring hernia.[8]

Managerial career

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During his playing career, Van Steensel worked as a youth coach at ASW from his hometown Waddinxveen. There, he also coached the senior team.[3] In February 2014, he was appointed head coach of BGC Floreant.[3] He began combining his position as head coach at Floreant with a role as assistant coach at Jong Sparta in August 2015.[9] He would since have other roles within the Sparta organization, including team manager and match analyst.[10]

In December 2018, Van Steensel was appointed the new head coach of CVV de Jodan Boys, where he would take over the reins from the start of the 2019–20 season.[10] Prior to the appointment, Van Steensel had worked as a head coach of the club's second team.[10] He signed a contract extension on 31 January 2020.[11]

In December 2021 it was announced that he would become the new manager of BVV Barendrecht for the 2022–23 season.[12]

References

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  1. ^ "Profile". Voetbal International.
  2. ^ SBV Excelsior. "Leen van Steensel Official Profile". SBVExcelsior.nl. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  3. ^ a b c "Leen van Steensel nieuwe hoofdtrainer Floreant". inboskoop.nl (in Dutch). 5 February 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  4. ^ "Carl-Zeiss Jena huurt Van Steensel". fcupdate.nl (in Dutch). 5 January 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Van Steensel en Alisic van Utrecht naar Excelsior". fcupdate.nl (in Dutch). 4 June 2007. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Cultheld Van Steensel verlaat Excelsior na vijf seizoenen" (in Dutch). 14 May 2012. Retrieved 14 January 2021. Maar ook de voorgaande seizoenen kon de kopsterke Van Steensel, op Woudestein uitgegroeid tot cultheld, niet altijd rekenen op een vaste plaats.
  7. ^ "De Graafschap laat Excelsior terugkomen". De Gelderlander (in Dutch). 20 August 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  8. ^ Stoelwinder, Krist (12 April 2019). "Het laatste Excelsior dat Ajax versloeg". ELF Voetbal (in Dutch). Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  9. ^ "Leen van Steensel nieuwe assistent-trainer Jong Sparta". Studio Alphen (in Dutch). 12 August 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  10. ^ a b c "Leen van Steensel nieuwe hoofdtrainer van CVV De Jodan Boys". GoudaFM (in Dutch). 17 December 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  11. ^ "Trainer Leen van Steensel verlengt contract bij Jodan Boys". CVV de Jodan Boys (in Dutch). 31 January 2020. Retrieved 14 January 2021.
  12. ^ Oevelen, Wesley van (21 December 2021). "Leen van Steensel is nieuwe trainer van Barendrecht: Ik besef niet half hoe groot deze club is". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 26 October 2022.
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