Sem van Duijn (born 18 March 2004) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for Eredivisie club Telstar, on loan from Jong AZ.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 18 March 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Leiden, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Telstar (on loan from Jong AZ) | ||
| Number | 37 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2012 | Valken '68 | ||
| 2012–2016 | Quick Boys | ||
| 2016–2019 | Sparta Rotterdam | ||
| 2019–2021 | Quick Boys | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2024 | Quick Boys | 64 | (19) |
| 2024– | Jong AZ | 43 | (15) |
| 2025– | AZ | 0 | (0) |
| 2026– | → Telstar (loan) | 14 | (5) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21:35, 17 May 2026 (UTC) | |||
Early life and youth career
editVan Duijn was born on 18 March 2004 in Leiden.[2] He grew up in Katwijk, in a family with deep ties to the local amateur club Quick Boys: his grandfather Floor van Duijn Sr. was one of the first players from Quick Boys to be capped as an amateur international, his uncle Floor van Duijn Jr. played for the club's first team in the 1990s, and his father played for several years in the reserve side and made occasional first-team appearances.[3][4] He himself began playing at the amateur club Valken '68 and joined the Quick Boys youth academy at the age of eight.[3]
He was scouted by Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam in the 2016–17 season and spent three seasons in their academy before returning to Quick Boys in 2019.[5][3] In July 2021, aged seventeen, he signed his first contract with the senior team, a two-year deal with the option of a further year.[4]
Club career
editQuick Boys
editVan Duijn made his senior debut for Quick Boys in the Tweede Divisie on 21 August 2021, in a 1–0 home defeat to Kozakken Boys.[2]
He came to wider attention during the 2023–24 KNVB Cup. Quick Boys, then second in the Tweede Divisie, beat Eerste Divisie club NAC Breda 1–0 in the first round at Sportpark Nieuw Zuid on 31 October 2023.[6] In the second round, on 19 December, Van Duijn scored both goals as Quick Boys eliminated De Graafschap 2–0; he opened the scoring after 28 minutes following a through-ball from Ravelino Junte and added a second on the counter-attack from a Tyrone Owusu cross fifteen minutes from time.[7][8] In the round of 16 on 16 January 2024, away to Eredivisie club AZ, he equalised in the 113th minute to make it 3–3 and force a penalty shoot-out, which Quick Boys lost 4–2.[9]
AZ
editOn 13 March 2024, AZ announced the signing of Van Duijn ahead of the 2024–25 season, with media reporting that Fortuna Sittard, Groningen and Utrecht had also been interested.[10] He signed his first professional contract, running until mid-2027, on 20 March 2024.[2] AZ initially intended him as a player for the reserve team Jong AZ, and whereas at Quick Boys he had operated as a winger, in Alkmaar he was used primarily as a centre-forward.[11]
Van Duijn made his Jong AZ debut in the Eerste Divisie on 12 August 2024 in a 6–1 home win over Roda JC, coming on as a 74th-minute substitute for Jayden Addai.[5] He made his senior debut for AZ on 13 February 2025 as a late substitute in a Europa League knockout-phase first leg against Galatasaray, which AZ won 4–1.[12] He made one further first-team appearance that season, as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur.[13] He spent the rest of the 2024–25 season with Jong AZ, scoring six goals in 22 league matches.[14]
Under new manager Maarten Martens, Van Duijn did not feature in the AZ first team during the first half of the 2025–26 season, scoring nine goals in 21 matches for Jong AZ.[15]
Loan to Telstar
editOn 26 January 2026, Van Duijn joined Eredivisie club Telstar on loan for the remainder of the 2025–26 season, without an option to buy.[16][15] Manager Anthony Correia, who had managed rivals Katwijk during Van Duijn's time at Quick Boys, said he had previously tried to sign him to Telstar.[16][17]
He made his first start for Telstar on 15 February 2026 at home to Twente, opening the scoring after seventeen minutes in a 1–1 draw. He scored in successive Eredivisie matches over the following weeks, including both goals in a 4–1 home win over Sparta Rotterdam on 22 April 2026, after which the ESPN analysts Hans Kraay Jr. and Gert Kruys singled him out for praise.[18] The win was part of a five-goal run from mid-February 2026 surpassed in the Dutch top flight in that period only by Ayase Ueda of Feyenoord and Ricardo Pepi of PSV.[19]
Style of play
editVan Duijn is a forward. He played mainly as a winger at Quick Boys, and has been used primarily as a centre-forward since joining AZ in 2024.[11][20] After joining Telstar on loan in January 2026, he became known for his long throw-ins, which the club adopted as an attacking set piece; Kay Tejan's goal in a 3–1 home win over PSV came directly from one. Van Duijn told NH Nieuws he had taken up specific weight-room work to extend his throwing distance.[20]
After Telstar's 4–1 home win over Sparta Rotterdam in April 2026, the ESPN analyst Hans Kraay Jr. compared Van Duijn's off-the-ball movement to that of Roy Makaay, citing his runs in behind and his tendency to run directly at defenders; his fellow analyst Gert Kruys praised Van Duijn's composure in front of goal.[18]
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 17 May 2026
| Club | Season | League | KNVB Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Quick Boys | 2021–22 | Tweede Divisie | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23 | Tweede Divisie | 13 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 3 | |||
| 2023–24 | Tweede Divisie | 34 | 16 | 4 | 4 | — | — | 38 | 20 | |||
| Total | 64 | 19 | 6 | 4 | — | — | 70 | 23 | ||||
| Jong AZ | 2024–25 | Eerste Divisie | 22 | 6 | — | — | — | 22 | 6 | |||
| 2025–26 | Eerste Divisie | 21 | 9 | — | — | — | 21 | 9 | ||||
| Total | 43 | 15 | — | — | — | 43 | 15 | |||||
| AZ | 2024–25 | Eredivisie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Telstar (loan) | 2025–26 | Eredivisie | 14 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 121 | 39 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 131 | 43 | ||
- ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
References
edit- ↑ "Sem van Duijn". VriendenLoterij Eredivisie (in Dutch). Retrieved 27 February 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Wie is Sem van Duijn, het AZ-talent dat over kwam van Quick Boys?" [Who is Sem van Duijn, the AZ talent who joined from Quick Boys?]. VoetbalNieuws.nl (in Dutch). 6 February 2025. Archived from the original on 14 February 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 Putten, Robert van der (21 July 2021). "Sem van Duijn maakt definitieve overstap naar A-selectie" [Sem van Duijn makes permanent move to first team squad]. Quick Boys (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 9 October 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Zeventienjarige Van Duijn-telg maakt promotie naar A-selectie Quick Boys" [Seventeen-year-old Van Duijn offspring earns promotion to Quick Boys first team squad]. Voetbal in de Bollenstreek (in Dutch). 21 July 2021. Archived from the original on 10 September 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Sem van Duijn". AZ (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 14 December 2025.
- ↑ "KNVB-beker: Quick Boys stunt met overwinning op NAC, ADO verslaat Noordwijk" [KNVB Cup: Quick Boys pull off upset against NAC, ADO beat Noordwijk]. Omroep West (in Dutch). 31 October 2023. Archived from the original on 23 February 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ "Sjaals met 'kutclub' de lucht in: Quick Boys verrast ook De Graafschap in beker" [Scarves with 'shit club' in the air: Quick Boys also upset De Graafschap in the cup]. NOS (in Dutch). 19 December 2023. Archived from the original on 23 December 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ "19-jarige bekerheld schiet Quick Boys langs De Graafschap" [19-year-old cup hero shoots Quick Boys past De Graafschap]. Omroep West (in Dutch). 19 December 2023. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ "AZ pas na strafschoppen langs Quick Boys • Ook ADO en FC Groningen naar kwartfinales" [AZ through on penalties against Quick Boys • ADO and FC Groningen also into quarter-finals]. NOS (in Dutch). 16 January 2024. Archived from the original on 17 March 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ Duijn, Tim van (13 March 2024). "AZ haalt bekerheld van Quick Boys binnen" [AZ sign cup hero from Quick Boys]. Voetbal International (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 6 August 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Het geduld van cupkiller Sem van Duijn bij AZ" [The patience of cup killer Sem van Duijn at AZ]. Soccernews.nl (in Dutch). 1 October 2024. Archived from the original on 16 February 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ "Wervelend AZ scoort vier keer en verslaat Galatasaray" [Scintillating AZ score four times and beat Galatasaray]. AZ (in Dutch). 13 February 2025. Archived from the original on 9 December 2025. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ Loos, Daily (26 January 2026). "Telstar hoopt op doelpunten en huurt aanvaller van AZ: 'Wil belangrijk zijn met goals'" [Telstar hope for goals and sign AZ forward on loan: 'I want to be important with goals']. Voetbalzone (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 9 May 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ Heinen, Hugo (1 June 2025). "Hoe is het met.. Sem van Duijn?" [How is.. Sem van Duijn doing?]. ELF Voetbal (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 9 May 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 "'Noord-Hollandse winterdeal aanstaande: AZ verhuurt spits aan Telstar'" ['North Holland winter deal imminent: AZ to loan striker to Telstar']. VoetbalPrimeur.nl (in Dutch). 25 January 2026. Archived from the original on 26 January 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 Meijden, Frank van der; Brood, Thomas (25 January 2026). "Telstar bevestigt komst van nieuwe spits Sem van Duijn" [Telstar confirm arrival of new striker Sem van Duijn]. NH Nieuws (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 26 January 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ Brinkman, Erik-Jan (29 January 2026). "Multifunctionele Telstar-aanwinst beschikt over juiste karakter" [Versatile Telstar signing has the right character]. NH Nieuws (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 6 February 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Kraay jr. razend enthousiast over Telstar: "Sem van Duijn was geweldig"" [Kraay jr. wildly enthusiastic about Telstar: 'Sem van Duijn was brilliant']. ESPN (in Dutch). 22 April 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- ↑ "AZ-huurling Van Duijn piekt op het juiste moment bij Telstar" [AZ loanee Van Duijn peaks at the right moment for Telstar]. Voetbal International (in Dutch). 4 May 2026. Archived from the original on 9 May 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
- 1 2 Brinkman, Erik-Jan (1 May 2026). "AZ houdt de ingooikoning uit Velsen-Zuid nauwlettend in de gaten" [AZ keeping a close eye on the throw-in king from Velsen-Zuid]. NH Nieuws (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 9 May 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.
External links
edit- Sem van Duijn at WorldFootball.net
- Sem van Duijn at ESPN FC
- Sem van Duijn at kicker (in German)
