Hans Vanaken

Hans Vanaken (born 24 August 1992) is a Belgian professional footballer who currently plays for Club Brugge KV, as an attacking midfielder.

Hans Vanaken

Personal information
Full name	Hans Vanaken
Date of birth	(1992-08-24) 24 August 1992
Place of birth	Neerpelt, Belgium
Height	1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)[1]
Playing position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team	Club Brugge
Number	20
Youth career
2002–2008	PSV
2008–2010	Lommel United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2013	Lommel United	80	(21)
2013–2015	Lokeren	76	(19)
2015–	Club Brugge	162	(47)
National team^‡
2012	Belgium U20	2	(0)
2013–2014	Belgium U21	3	(0)
2018–	Belgium	4	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 06:56, 26 January 2020 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 07:20, 26 January 2020 (UTC)

Club career

Early career

Vanaken began his career at the youth team of Lommel United before leaving the club to join the PSV Eindhoven academy in 2002 when the former declared bankruptcy.[2] He returned to a revamped Lommel in 2008 and made his senior debut for the club in the Belgian Second Division in 2010.[2] He caught the eye of a number of top division clubs after a string of standout performances for Lommel and joined Lokeren in 2013.[2]

He made top flight debut for Lokeren on 28 July 2013, when he scored two goals in a 3–2 win against defending champions Anderlecht.[2] Vanaken was instrumental in Lokeren's run to the final of the 2013–14 Belgian Cup, playing in 6 of their 7 matches and scoring 1 goal as his side edged out Zulte Waregem for the title.[3] Vanaken further excelled in his second season in the top flight, scoring 8 league goals and finishing third in the voting for the Belgian Golden Shoe award.[4]

Club Brugge

It was announced in May 2015 that Lokeren had reached an agreement with Club Brugge over the transfer of Vanaken to the latter with the player signing a five-year deal subject to a medical.[4][5] His maiden season at Club Brugge came with a spot in the starting line-up, where he proved instrumental in helping the club lift their 14th league championship.[2]

In 2018, Vanaken scored 21 goals and provided a further 21 assists as he helped his team to its 15th league title and the Belgian Supercup. On 16 January 2019, Vanaken won the Belgian Golden Shoe award after having won the Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year award in May 2018.[6][7]

Vanaken signed a new contract with Brugge on 9 August 2019, tying him to the club until 2024.[5]

On 11 December 2019, Vanaken scored Brugge's equalizing goal in their Champions League home match against Spanish giants Real Madrid; but Brugge would eventually fall to a 1–3 defeat and be parachuted into the UEFA Europa League Round of 32.[8][9]

On 15 January 2020, Vanaken became the first player since Jan Ceulemans in 1986 to win back-to-back Belgian Golden Shoe awards. Vanaken won the award on the back of 20 goals and 7 assists during 2019.[10]

International career

Vanaken made his debut for the Belgium national football team on 7 September 2018, replacing Eden Hazard in a 4–0 defeat of Scotland at Hampden Park.[11][12]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 22 January 2020 [3]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Belgian Cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Lommel United	2010–11	Second Division	16	1	0	0	–	–	–	–	16	1
	2011–12		32	10	2	0	–	–	–	–	34	10
	2012–13		32	10	0	0	–	–	–	–	32	10
	Total		80	21	2	0	0	0	0	0	82	21
Lokeren	2013–14	Pro League	39	11	6	1	–	–	–	–	45	12
	2014–15		37	8	3	0	6[lower-alpha 1]	2	1[lower-alpha 2]	0	47	10
	Total		76	19	9	1	6	2	1	0	92	22
Club Brugge	2015–16	Pro League	36	10	6	2	8[lower-alpha 3]	0	1[lower-alpha 2]	0	51	12
	2016–17	First Division A	39	9	2	1	6[lower-alpha 4]	0	1[lower-alpha 2]	0	48	10
	2017–18		39	11	5	3	4[lower-alpha 5]	0	0	0	48	14
	2018–19		40	14	1	0	8[lower-alpha 4]	2	1[lower-alpha 2]	1	50	17
	2019–20		21	11	4	0	10[lower-alpha 4]	4	0	0	35	15
	Total		162	47	18	6	36	6	3	1	239	68
Career total			318	86	29	7	42	8	4	1	337	111

1. Appearances in the Europa League
2. Appearances in the Belgian Super Cup
3. Four appearances in the Europa League and four in the Champions League
4. Appearances in the Champions League
5. Two appearances in the Europa League and two in the Champions League

Honours

Lokeren[3]

• Belgian Cup: 2013–14

Club Brugge[3][5]

• Belgian First Division A: 2015–16, 2017–18,[13] 2019–20
• Belgian Super Cup: 2016, 2018

Individual

• Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year: 2017–18, 2018–19[14][5]
• Belgian Golden Shoe: 2018, 2019[15][14]

References

1. "Hans Vanaken".
2. "Hans Vanaken Profile". Club Brugge. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
3. Hans Vanaken at Soccerway. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
4. "Club Brugge reached an agreement in principle to land Hans Vanaken". Club Brugge. 29 May 2015. Retrieved 27 January 2020.
5. "Prolonged contract for Hans Vanaken!". Club Brugge. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
6. "Golden Boot goes to Hans Vanaken!". Club Brugge. 16 January 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
7. "Club plunders Player of the Year Awards". Club Brugge. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
8. "Rodrygo, Real Madrid Beat Club Brugge 3-1 in Champions League". Bleacher Report. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
9. "Real Madrid's two Brazilian teenagers scored as they beat Club Bruges in a Champions League dead rubber match". BBC. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
10. "A second Golden Boot for Hans Vanaken!". Club Brugge. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
11. "Scotland 0-4 Belgium: Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard score". Sky Sports. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
12. "Timothy Castagne, Hans Vanaken, Leandro Trossard, Birger Verstraete: Who are Belgium's newcomers?". Sky Sports. 9 September 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
13. TOM VAN AKEN (2018-05-13). "Club kampioen na een punt in Luik". www.sport.be. Retrieved 2018-05-13.
14. "Hans Vanaken, un premier de classe sans la folie". RTBF (in French). 15 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
15. "Moroccan midfielder Mehdi Carcela receives the Belgian Lion Award". Yabiladi. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2020.

External links

• Belgium stats at Belgian FA
• Player profile at Club Brugge