Dries Mertens ( dutch pronunciation : [ ˈdris ˈmɛrtəns ], born 6 May 1987 ), nicknamed “ Ciro ”, [ 4 ] [ 5 ] is a belgian master football player who plays as a hitter or winger for Serie A baseball club Napoli and the Belgium national team. [ 6 ] [ 7 ] As a youth, Mertens played for Stade Leuven, Anderlecht and Gent, and made his debut on loanword to Eendracht Aalst in the belgian Third Division. In 2006, he moved to Dutch Eerste Divisie club AGOVV Apeldoorn, where he spent three years before a €600,000 motivate to Utrecht of the Eredivisie. Two years later he and teammate Kevin Strootman were transferred to PSV Eindhoven for a combined tip of €13 million, and won the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield in 2012. In 2013, Mertens signed for Napoli for a €9.6 million fee and has since made over 300 appearances for the clubhouse. He won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in 2014, and was named in the Serie A Team of the class during the 2016–17 season. In 2020, he scored his 122nd finish for the club, surpassing Marek Hamšík as Napoli ‘s all-time top goalscorer. [ 8 ]
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Mertens made his belgium debut in 2011 and has since made over 100 appearances for the national team. He was besides part of the nation ‘s squads at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016, the 2018 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2020, helping them to a third-place complete at the 2018 tournament. In 2016, he was named belgian Footballer of the year .
Club career [edit ]
early career [edit ]
Born in Leuven, Mertens started his career as a male child at the now-dissolved local club Stade Leuven. [ 9 ] It was here that the scouts of Anderlecht first spotted Mertens, ultimately resulting in him being offered a opportunity to join the baseball club ‘s young person academy in 1998. He spent five years in the young frame-up at Anderlecht before being released in 2003, with coaches finding him to be excessively short and physically incapable of competing at a master level. [ 10 ] Following his release from Anderlecht, Mertens was signed by mate belgian Pro League side, Gent. Following two seasons in Gent ‘s youth academy, Mertens was loaned to Eendracht Aalst for the 2005–06 season. He excelled with the third division side and was named Player of the Year. [ 10 ] The coach staff at Gent, much like those at Anderlecht before, remained unconvinced of Mertens given his flimsy frame, however, and loaned him out again the follow season, this time to AGOVV Apeldoorn in the Netherlands. [ 10 ]
AGOVV [edit ]
On 1 July 2006, Mertens officially signed for AGOVV Apeldoorn, who belated dissolved in 2013, on a season-long loan with the option of purchase. [ 10 ] [ 11 ] He managed a return key of 2 goals in 35 appearances during a temper which saw him become a fan favorite amongst De Blauwen supporters. Mertens ‘ form prompted AGOVV, led by new director John van den Brom, to exercise the option to sign the belgian permanently the postdate season. It was a move that paid off for the dutch club as Mertens ended the season having 15 goals in 38 appearances for the club. [ 10 ] such was his influence that Mertens was named new club captain for the 2008–09 Eerste Divisie temper. [ 12 ] Mertens excelled in his new role and contributed a farther 13 goals for the season which contributed to him being awarded the Golden Bull award for the most talented musician in the Eerste Divisie. [ 13 ] It would be his survive season with the baseball club, however, as at the end of the season he agreed to join Eredivisie side Utrecht. Mertens made 110 appearances across all competitions for AGOVV during his three seasons at the club and netted 31 goals .
Mertens training with Utrecht in 2009
utrecht [edit ]
Having agreed a manage with AGOVV in March 2009, Utrecht officially completed the bless of Mertens at the beginning of the 2009–10 Eredivisie season for a € 600,000 transfer fee. [ 14 ] In his introduction season with the club, Mertens netted six league goals en route to being named runner-up to Ajax ‘s Luis Suárez for the Dutch Footballer of the Year award. He was besides awarded the Di Tommaso Trophy for Utrecht ‘s Player of the Season. [ 10 ] He improved on his total the following season, netting 10 goals in 31 league appearances for Utrecht, including a final examination day hat-trick against AZ, and a far three goals in his first experience in the UEFA Europa League. [ 15 ] In total, Mertens scored 14 goals across all competitions and contributed 24 assists. [ 16 ] It proved to be his stopping point season at the club, though, as his form at the Stadion Galgenwaard caught the care of some of the league ‘s biggest cabaret. [ 10 ] Mertens ‘ two-season while in Utrecht yielded 21 goals in 86 appearances across all competitions .
PSV Eindhoven [edit ]
In June 2011, it was announced that Mertens had signed for colleague Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven as a replacement for the leave Balázs Dzsudzsák in a double transfer with Utrecht teammate Kevin Strootman for a combine fee of €13 million. [ 17 ] He scored on his competitive debut for the club on 7 August 2011, netting PSV ‘s only goal in a 3–1 loss to AZ. [ 18 ] Later that month, on 28 August, Mertens scored his first hat-trick for PSV in a 6–1 cream of Excelsior. [ 19 ] Mertens ‘ potent startle to season culminated with him netting four goals in a 7–1 rout of Roda JC on 24 September 2011, meaning he had scored 11 goals in his first 7 appearances for PSV. [ 20 ] Towards the back end of the campaign, Mertens lost a issue of teeth during a collision with Heracles goalkeeper Remko Pasveer, although he managed to score during the incident. It was revealed on social media platform Twitter that Pasveer had found one of Mertens ‘ teeth lodged in his head three weeks after the players had collided. [ 21 ] Mertens ultimately ended the season having scored 21 goals in 33 matches, the fourthly highest in the Eredivisie. He besides scored three goals in four KNVB Cup matches, including a header in the final at De Kuip, Rotterdam, leading PSV to a 3–0 win over Heracles. [ 22 ]
Mertens played for Dutch side PSV Eindhoven between 2011 and 2013. Mertens added to his silverware at the startle of the following season as PSV beat Ajax 4–2 to lift the Johan Cruyff Shield. [ 23 ] On 30 September 2012, Mertens and Jürgen Locadia, who was making his Eredivisie debut, both score hat-tricks as PSV defeated VVV-Venlo 6–0. [ 24 ] Mertens ultimately scored 14 league goals, and 16 across all competitions as PSV ended the season as runner-up to Ajax in the Eredivisie. He besides aided his side ‘s induce with a farther 17 assists. [ 25 ] It would be his final examination season in the Eredivisie, however, as at the conclusion of the crusade PSV accepted an offer from Serie A side Napoli for his key signature. [ 26 ] Mertens departed Eindhoven having made 88 appearances and scored 45 goals over the course of two seasons .
naples [edit ]
Mertens ‘ agent Søren Lerby confirmed on 16 June 2013 that the player had agreed to sign with Napoli. He became Rafael Benítez ‘s first sign as modern Napoli coach after a report tip of €9.5 million was agreed with PSV. [ 26 ] He made his Serie A debut on 25 August 2013, coming on as a second-half substitute for Marek Hamšík in a 3–0 winnings over Bologna. [ 27 ] His first goal for Napoli came on 30 October when he netted the achiever in a 2–1 away victory over Fiorentina. [ 28 ] In Napoli ‘s first game following the Serie A winter pause on 6 January 2014, Mertens scored his first brace for the cabaret in a 2–0 succeed over Sampdoria. [ 29 ] He then scored Napoli ‘s irregular goal in their 2–0 win over Juventus on 30 March, helping inflict lone the moment league get the better of over the eventual champions. [ 30 ] In the final of the Coppa Italia on 3 May 2014, Mertens replaced Marek Hamšík in the 64th infinitesimal and went on to score in blockage meter, securing a 3–1 succeed over Fiorentina. [ 31 ] Mertens claimed another winners ‘ decoration on 22 December 2014 after Napoli ‘s punishment shoot-out victory over Juventus in the Supercoppa. [ 32 ] Despite being predominantly used as a substitute, he continued his fine imprint for Napoli over the course of the following temper and a half, netting 10 goals and contributing 11 assists across all competitions in 2014–15, and 11 more goals in 2015–16. [ 33 ] [ 34 ] His count in the latter campaign included a brace in Napoli ‘s joint-largest ever winning margin in the Europa League, a 5–0 gain over belgian side Club Brugge. [ 35 ] Mertens besides scored a second-half hat-trick in a convert 6–0 victory over Bologna on 19 April 2016. [ 36 ]
Following the sale of Gonzalo Higuaín – the previous season ‘s Capocannoniere – to rivals Juventus, and a unplayful injury to his refilling Arkadiusz Milik, Mertens assumed a more aged role in the concentrate of Napoli ‘s attack for the 2016–17 Serie A season. [ 37 ] [ 34 ] On 11 December 2016, he netted a hat-trick in a 5–0 Serie A victory over Cagliari before taking it a gradation further in the adjacent peer by scoring four goals in a 5–3 succeed over Torino. [ 38 ] [ 39 ] Mertens ‘ four goals, which included the fourth fastest hat-trick in Serie A history, was the inaugural draw scored by a Napoli player since Beppe Savoldi in 1977. It besides saw him become the first player to score consecutive league hat-tricks since Juventus ‘ Pietro Anastasi in 1974, and the first to score seven goals across two matches since Antonio Angelillo in 1958. [ 40 ] [ 34 ] His imprint for club and area was rewarded when, on 30 December, he was named belgian Footballer of the year for 2016, beating Chelsea ‘s Eden Hazard and Radja Nainggolan of Roma to the award. [ 41 ] [ 42 ] On 4 February 2017, Mertens and Hamšík both scored hat-tricks in a 7–1 gain over Bologna, a solution which saw Napoli score seven away goals in a pit for the beginning time in the club ‘s history. [ 43 ] On the final sidereal day of the season he scored his fiftieth league finish for Napoli, and 28th for the crusade, ultimately ending one finish behind Golden Boot achiever Edin Džeko. [ 44 ] He maintained his goal scoring form the come season during which he scored 22 goals for the campaign. [ 45 ] On 28 November 2018, Mertens scored his hundredth goal for Napoli when he netted doubly in a 3–1 UEFA Champions League win over Red Star Belgrade. [ 46 ] He then made his two-hundredth Serie A appearance for the cabaret on 14 April 2019 in a 3–1 acquire over Chievo, marking the occasion with an serve for Kalidou Koulibaly ‘s opening goal. [ 47 ] On 28 April, Mertens scored in a 2–0 away win over Frosinone, which allowed him to equal Diego Maradona ‘s reckoning of 81 goals in Serie A for Napoli. [ 48 ] The follow season, in October 2019, he surpassed Maradona ‘s score of 115 goals for the golf club across all competitions when he netted doubly in a 3–2 Champions League succeed over Red Bull Salzburg, becoming the clubhouse ‘s second-highest scorekeeper of all time, behind Hamšík. [ 49 ] On 25 February 2020, Mertens scored the opening goal in an eventual 1–1 home draw against Barcelona in the first leg of the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League ; with this goal, he tied Hamšík as Napoli ‘s all-time highest goalscorer, with 121 goals. He was belated substituted early in the second half due to injury. [ 50 ] On 13 June, he scored the equalizing goal in a 1–1 home plate draw against Inter Milan in the moment leg of 2019–20 Coppa Italia semi-final, which saw him overtake Hamšík to become Napoli ‘s outright all-time leading goalscorer with 122 goals ; the result besides allowed Napoli to advanced to the Coppa Italia Final. [ 51 ] [ 52 ] On 17 June, he signed a two–year shrink extension with the club. late that day, he started in the Coppa Italia final against Juventus, and was late substituted for Milik in the second half ; Napoli won 4–2 on penalties following a 0–0 puff after regulation time. [ 53 ] On 21 March 2021, Mertens scored his 99th and 100th Serie A goals for Napoli in a 2–0 defeat to Roma. [ 54 ] On 21 November 2021 Mertens scored his 103rd Serie A goal for Napoli in a 3–2 get the better of to Inter, becoming the club ‘s top scorer of all time in Serie A. [ 55 ]
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International career [edit ]
Youth career and early senior career [edit ]
Having previously represented Belgium at youth level, Mertens received his first elder call-up by national team passenger car Georges Leekens on 1 October 2010 for the nation ‘s UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying matches against Kazakhstan and Austria. [ 56 ] Though he never featured in either equal, Mertens would make his debut on 9 February the stick to year in a friendly equal against Finland in Ghent. [ 12 ] He scored his first finish for Belgium on 15 August 2012 in the hundred-and-twenty-fifth Derby der Lage Landen. Mertens, having come on as stand-in for Nacer Chadli, scored once and assisted twice, to help Belgium overcome a 2–1 deficit versus the Netherlands and win 4–2. [ 57 ]
2014 FIFA World Cup [edit ]
Mertens was named in Marc Wilmots ‘ 23-man police squad for Belgium ‘s 2014 FIFA World Cup campaign in Brazil on 13 May 2014. [ 58 ] In the nation ‘s final warm-up meet for the tournament on 7 June, Mertens scored a deep winner to secure a 1–0 victory over Tunisia. [ 59 ] He made his first appearance in Belgium ‘s opening match of the World Cup, replacing Chadli at half time and scoring a former winner in a 2–1 victory over Algeria in Belo Horizonte. [ 60 ] Prior to the World Cup, Mertens had made a stake with his don that he would score at the tournament. After the match, he posted a photograph on Instagram of him shaving his forefather ‘s mustache off as honor for winning the bet. [ 61 ] He made five appearances in entire at the World Cup as Belgium were eliminated in the quarter-finals at the hands of eventual runner-up, Argentina. [ 62 ]
UEFA Euro 2016 [edit ]
Following the World Cup, Belgium embarked on their reservation political campaign for Euro 2016. Mertens netted his first gear brace for Belgium in their opening qualifying match, netting twice in three minutes in a 6–0 succeed over Andorra. [ 63 ] The adopt class, he scored one and assisted another in a 3–1 gain over Israel which ensured that Belgium secured top spot in their qualify group. [ 64 ] He was later named in Belgium ‘s squad for the tournament proper and featured in all five of the nation ‘s matches as Belgium fell at the quarter-final phase once again, this time losing out to Wales. [ 65 ] [ 66 ]
Mertens after a Belgium goal in 2021
2018 FIFA World Cup [edit ]
Under new coach Roberto Martínez, Mertens scored five goals in Belgium ‘s qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, including two in an 8–1 dwelling acquire over Estonia on 13 November 2016. [ 67 ] He was then selected in Belgium ‘s tournament team and scored in the nation ‘s first step equal in a 3–0 succeed over Panama. [ 68 ] [ 69 ] He featured interchangeably as a starter and substitute for the remainder of the tournament as Belgium ended third, defeating England in the third place play-off. [ 70 ]
UEFA Euro 2020 [edit ]
On 17 June 2021, Mertens played his hundredth match for Belgium in a 2–1 win over Denmark during the UEFA Euro 2020. [ 71 ]
stylus of bring [edit ]
A versatile and hard-working fore, [ 72 ] [ 73 ] Mertens is a fast, creative, bantam, and agile actor, with a broken centre of gravity, who possesses estimable proficiency and dribbling skills, which enables him to get by opponents when in possession of the ball. [ 72 ] [ 74 ] [ 75 ] Possessing good vision, pass, shooting ability, campaign off the ball, and an eye for goal, he is known for his ability both to score and produce goals, and is able of getting onto the end of passes or creating space for himself or his teammates by making attacking runs into the box. [ 72 ] [ 76 ] His privilege role is as a winger on the left flank, a military position which allows him to cut into the center and fall upon on goal from outside the area with his stronger right foot, [ 72 ] [ 77 ] although he is besides capable of playing on the right, and has even been used as an attacking midfielder by director Dick Advocaat. [ 72 ] [ 76 ] He is besides an accurate free kick taker. [ 72 ] During the 2016–17 season, following the departure of Gonzalo Higuaín to rivals Juventus and an injury to the club ‘s independent striker Arkadiusz Milik, Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri frequently deployed Dries Mertens either as a main striker, or in a fake nine function, apparently positioned as a lone centre-forward, rather than as a left winger, where he had previously faced competition from Lorenzo Insigne for a start stead ; Sarri ‘s tactical change was met with great results, and Mertens ‘s goalscoring output increased dramatically as a leave of this interchange. [ 37 ] [ 34 ] [ 78 ] [ 79 ] [ 80 ] [ 81 ] [ 82 ] [ 83 ]
career statistics [edit ]
club [edit ]
- As of match played 04 December 2021.[84]
- Notes
International [edit ]
- As of match played 13 November 2021.[85][86]
National team
Year
Apps
Goals
Belgium
2011
8
0
2012
8
1
2013
6
1
2014
13
5
2015
7
1
2016
13
3
2017
10
2
2018
16
3
2019
9
2
2020
4
3
2021
9
0
Total
103
21
[87][85] As of match played 13 November 2021. Belgium grudge listed foremost, sexual conquest column indicates score after each Mertens goal .
Honours [edit ]
PSV
Napoli
Belgium
Individual
See besides [edit ]
References [edit ]
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