Kostas Lamprou

Kostas Lamprou (Greek: Κώστας Λάμπρου; born 18 September 1991) is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Dutch club RKC Waalwijk.

Kostas Lamprou
Personal information
Full name Konstantinos Lamprou
Date of birth (1991-09-18) 18 September 1991
Place of birth Athens, Greece
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 RKC Waalwijk
Number 31
Youth career
Ajax
Feyenoord
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2015 Feyenoord 14 (0)
2010–2011 → Excelsior (loan) 0 (0)
2014–2015 → Willem II (loan) 33 (0)
2015–2017 Willem II 68 (0)
2017–2019 Ajax 3 (0)
2019–2020 Vitesse 0 (0)
2020– RKC Waalwijk 0 (0)
National team
2008–2009 Greece U17 3 (0)
2009–2010 Greece U19 9 (0)
2010–2013 Greece U21 14 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 June 2020

Career

Born in Athens in 18 September, Kostas Lamprou was just 13 when he left his homeland Greece for the Netherlands. The keeper was invited to join the Ajax youth academy after impressing at an international tournament in which he appeared for Panathinaikos as a guest player. Lamprou’s stay in Amsterdam was not a success, however, and the Greek was released six months later. Lamprou decided to stay in the Netherlands, joining amateur club Amstelveen Heemraad, and the gamble paid off. Lamprou’s performances caught the eye of Feyenoord, who offered him a place at the club’s youth academy at Varkenoord. The Greece U21 international made his Feyenoord bow in preseason 2009–10. A year later Lamprou went on loan to Excelsior but returned to Feyenoord during the winter break after failing to force himself into the first team at Woudestein. The keeper was given a first-team squad number at De Kuip and was named among the substitutes for a number of Eredivisie games.[1]

Lamprou’s official debut came in the cup against AGOVV on 20 September 2011. AGOVV Apeldoorn (4–0).[2] The Greek spent the rest of the season as second-choice keeper behind Erwin Mulder.

The former Sparta Rotterdam and PSV goalkeeper Pim Doesburg commented: "Lamprou is a fantastic keeper. I think he'll have to surrender his spot, management will prefer Mulder. But if it were up to me, I would always leave him in. He has a good kick, good reflexes, is agile and has been playing very well recently. They tell him he is too short. That's ridiculous, no one has ever said I was too short. Lamprou has incredible leaping ability.[3]

The consistency of the young keeper caused on October 2012, his first call from Fernando Santos, the coach of Greece national football team.[4]

On 4 July 2014, Willem II finalized with Feyenoord the lending of Kostas Lamprou agreeing that the goalkeeper would play for the Tricolores for the next season. At Willem II, he joined the existing goalkeepers David Meul and Mattijs Branderhorst. Lamprou itself was happy with the chance to play for Willem II. "I have a good feeling about the discussions we have had. I hope we can make a nice season developing my skills even further."[5]

On 19 May 2015, after his exceptional year with Willem II the club's technical director Carlos Aalbers announced the signing of the Greek international for the next two years. "Kostas fits into the play of Willem II and he has proved last season in the Eredivisie that he is a very good goalkeeper. We are therefore pleased that we sign with him for the next two years."[6][7]

As a mercenary of Feyenoord, Lamprou made his best season so far. A return to De Kuip was not at issue, since the Greek keeper received a new contract. Since mid-April Willem II was in constant talking to finalize a longer stay in Tilburg. Willem II's coach Jurgen Streppel describes the goalkeeper as a keeper who in the coming years will further develop his skills. After a difficult start, he was one of the pillars of the success of Willem II, ended in ninth place in Eredivisie.[8]

He started the 2015–16 season as the main goalie, like last year. On 14 September 2015, in the 5th day of Eredivisie in an away game against his former club Feyenoord even if he was the main protagonist with many saves could not prevent the defeat.[9] After a very difficult season where the club saved for relegation, he started the 2016–17 season as the undisputable main goalie of the club. On 4 December 2016, in a 0–0 home draw against FC Twente, he reached 100 appearances in Eredivisie with the jersey of two different clubs.

On 1 August 2017, Lambrou signed a one-year contract with Dutch club Ajax, becoming the fourth Greek in history to wear the colors of the club after Nikos Machlas, Yannis Anastasiou and Angelos Charisteas. The 26-year-old goalkeeper signed from Willem II, after two excellent seasons with them as a free transfer, even he knew that he started as a third option.[10] In the beginning of the season he played for Jong Ajax, and on 25 October 2017 he made his debut with the first team in a 4–1 away win KNVB game against De Dijk.[11] Eventually, on 6 May 2018 the Greek goalie was finally handed his Eredivisie debut with Ajax and by saving five Excelsior shots guiding his team to a 2–1 away victory, sealing his exit to next's UEFA Champions League season.[12]

On 2 July 2018, he renewed his contract with Ajax until the end of the 2018–19 season.[13] On 16 July 2019, after two years with Ajax, Lamprou signed a year contract with another Dutch club Vitesse for an undisclosed fee.[14]

On 30 June 2020, RKC Waalwijk announced that Lamprou has signed with the club on a free transfer until 2021.[15]

Career statistics
As of match played 17 December 2019[16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League KNVB Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Feyenoord 2009–10 Eredivisie 0000––00
2010–11 000000–00
2011–12 0020––20
2012–13 1202000–140
2013–14 201000–30
Total 140500000190
Excelsior (loan) 2010–11 Eredivisie 0000––00
Willem II (loan) 2014–15 Eredivisie 33010––340
Willem II 2015–16 Eredivisie 34030–4[lower-alpha 1]0410
2016–17 34010––350
Total 680400040760
Ajax 2017–18 Eredivisie 101000–20
2018–19 2030000050
Total 3040000070
Vitesse 2019–20 Eredivisie 002000–20
Total 0002000070
RKC Waalwijk 2020-20 Eredivisie 000000–20
Career total 118016000401380
  1. Appearances in the Eredivisie relegation play-offs

Honours

Club

Ajax[17]

Jong Ajax[17]

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References
  1. "Kostas Lamprou Biography". Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  2. "Feyenoord soeverein langs AGOVV". Feyenoord.nl (in Dutch). 20 September 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  3. "Doesburg: 'Ik zou Lamprou laten staan'" (in Dutch). 22 November 2012.
  4. "Archived copy" Λάμπρου: "Δεν περίμενα να με καλέσει ο Σάντος" (in Greek). 5 October 2012. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "el:Λάμπρου: Willem II huurt doelman Kostas Lamprou" (in Dutch). 4 July 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  6. "Kostas Lamprou langer bij Willem II" (in Dutch). 19 May 2015.
  7. "Lamprou tekent voor twee jaar bij Willem II" (in Dutch). 19 May 2015.
  8. "Willem II legt Lamprou voor twee jaar vast" (in Dutch). 19 May 2015.
  9. "Zelfs Kostas Lamprou kan Willem II niet redden". 14 September 2015.
  10. Ανακοίνωσε Λάμπρου ο Άγιαξ (in Greek). 1 August 2017.
  11. "ASV de Dijk vs Ajax 1-4". 25 October 2017.
  12. "Κώστας Λάμπρου, ο τέταρτος Έλληνας του Άγιαξ που παίζει στην Eredivisie!" (in Greek). 7 May 2018.
  13. Ανανέωσε με Άγιαξ ο Λάμπρου (in Greek). 2 July 2018.
  14. "Ανακοίνωσε τον Λάμπρου η Φίτεσε" (in Greek). 16 July 2019.
  15. "Lamprou Signs for RKC Waalwijk" (in Dutch). 30 June 2020.
  16. "Kostas Lamprou Stats". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  17. "Kostas Lamprou - Career Honours". Soccerway.
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