Marcelencio Esajas (born 10 June 2002) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eerste Divisie club TOP Oss.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 June 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | TOP Oss | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2014 | Vlug en Vaardig | ||
| 2014–2021 | Almere City | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2024 | Almere City | 33 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Jong Almere City | 22 | (2) |
| 2024– | TOP Oss | 9 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10:35, 3 November 2024 (UTC) | |||
Career
editAlmere City
editEsajas started playing football for Amsterdam-based club Vlug en Vaardig before he was admitted to the Almere City youth academy in 2014. After impressing with the under-21 team coached by Hedwiges Maduro,[2] he signed his first professional contract in September 2021; a three-year deal.[3]
He made his professional debut on 27 August 2021 in an Eerste Divisie match against Roda JC Kerkrade. He started the away game on the bench, but head coach Gertjan Verbeek gave him his debut in the 69th minute when he came on for Ryan Koolwijk in a 4–3 win.[4] He made 18 appearances for the first team in the 2021–22 season, as Almere finished in a disappointing 14th place.[5][6]
In the subsequent season, Almere City notably improved, securing third place in the 2022–23 Eerste Divisie. Esajas played a part in their success with 14 appearances, often entering as a substitute. Additionally, he contributed in four playoff matches, aiding the team in their historic promotion by defeating Emmen in the play-off finals.[7]
Esajas made his debut in the Eredivisie for Almere City on 13 August 2023, stepping onto the field in the 57th minute as a substitute for Pascu. Shortly after entering the match, he provided his first assist, setting up Danny Post for Almere City's consolation goal in the 4–1 home defeat against Twente.[8][9] However, throughout that season, Esajas primarily played for the second team, Jong Almere City, who themselves secured a significant promotion to the third-tier Tweede Divisie in the previous season.[5][10]
TOP Oss
editOn 27 June 2024, Esajas signed a two-year contract with an option for an additional year with Eerste Divisie club TOP Oss.[11]
Style of play
editDescribed as a hardworking player, Esajas excels in a box-to-box role. He is adept at engaging in duels and possesses a keen ability to recover possession, making him effective on both ends of the pitch.[11]
Personal life
editEsajas was born in the Netherlands and is of Surinamese descent.[12]
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 1 November 2024[5]
| Club | Season | League | KNVB Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Almere City | 2021–22 | Eerste Divisie | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | Eerste Divisie | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2023–24 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| Total | 33 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 38 | 0 | ||
| Jong Almere City | 2023–24 | Tweede Divisie | 22 | 2 | — | — | 22 | 2 | ||
| TOP Oss | 2024–25 | Eerste Divisie | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |
| Career total | 64 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 70 | 2 | ||
- ^ Appearances in Eredivisie promotion/relegation playoffs
References
edit- ^ "M. Esajas: Profiel". Voetbal International. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ Berends, Sander (22 September 2021). "Marcelencio Esajas wil na contractondertekening vaste waarde worden bij Almere City". Elfvoetbal (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 9 October 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
- ^ "Marcelencio Esajas tekent eerste profcontract". Almere City FC (in Dutch). 22 September 2021. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
- ^ "Roda JC vs. Almere City – 27 August 2021". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 17 November 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
- ^ a b c "M. Esajas: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
- ^ "De Graafschap toch naar play-offs dankzij uitglijder Almere City, Roda JC pakt periodetitel". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 6 May 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
- ^ "Almere City debuteert volgend seizoen in eredivisie: 'Geweldig ontwikkeld'". NOS (in Dutch). 11 June 2023. Archived from the original on 11 June 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
- ^ "Almere City vs. Twente 1–4: Summary". Soccerway. Perform Group. Archived from the original on 21 August 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ "Almere City maakt eerste doelpunt in eredivisie, maar Twente wint overtuigend". NOS (in Dutch). 13 August 2023. Archived from the original on 19 August 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ "Jong Almere City promoveert naar Tweede Divisie". Omroep Flevoland (in Dutch). 20 May 2023. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2024.
- ^ a b "TOP Oss verwelkomt middenvelder Marcelencio Esajas". TOP Oss (in Dutch). 27 June 2024. Archived from the original on 1 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
- ^ "Profvoetballers van Surinaamse afkomst". Natio Suriname | Voetbal (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.