Kjell Knops

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Kjell Knops
Personal information
Full name Kjell Maria-Goretti Mathieu Knops[1]
Date of birth (1987-07-21) 21 July 1987 (age 36)[2]
Place of birth Heerlen, Netherlands[3]
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[4]
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
1994–2008 Roda JC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2010 Roda JC 1 (0)
2010–2011 EVV 26 (2)
2011–2016 MVV 152 (2)
2016–2018 Port Vale 29 (0)
2018–2019 Helmond Sport 16 (0)
2019–2020 Groene Ster
2020–2021 EHC
Total 224 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kjell Maria-Goretti Mathieu Knops (born 21 July 1987) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a centre back.

He began his professional career with Roda JC Kerkrade in 2008, before dropping into amateur football with EVV for the 2010–11 season. He then moved up to the Eerste Divisie for a five-year spell at MVV, who he also captained . He left the Netherlands and travelled to England to join Port Vale in June 2016. He spent two years with the club, but missed the entirety of the 2017–18 season due to injury. He returned to the Netherlands and signed with Helmond Sport in August 2018 and then joined Groene Ster in June 2019. He signed with EHC in May 2020.

Career[edit]

Early career[edit]

Knops spent his youth with Roda JC Kerkrade. He made his first-team debut in professional football in the Eredivisie (first tier) as a late substitute for Marcel de Jong in a 3–0 win over NEC at the Parkstad Limburg Stadion on 15 November 2008.[5] This would prove his only appearance for the club, and he was one of 11 players released by general manager Martin van Geel in April 2010.[6] He played on trial at RKC Waalwijk in May 2010.[7] He then spent the 2010–11 season in the Topklasse (third tier) with amateur side EVV, and made 28 league and cup appearances as the club posted a ninth-place finish in the Sunday league. He scored two goals for the club, in victories over AFC and Dijkse Boys.[8][9]

MVV Maastricht[edit]

Knops returned to professional football when he signed with René Trost's MVV in the Eerste Divisie (second tier) for the 2011–12 campaign. He scored his first goal for the club in a 3–2 win over Telstar at the Rabobank IJmond Stadion on 21 October.[10] Four days later he received the first red card of his career after he committed a professional foul in a 1–0 defeat to Achilles '29 in the KNVB Cup.[11] He was sent off for the second and final time of his MVV career on 20 January, after receiving two yellow cards in a 2–2 draw with Helmond Sport at the Stadion De Braak.[12] He featured in a total of 36 games, including both legs of the play-off round one defeat to Cambuur, after the club qualified for the play-offs with an eighth-place finish. He again played 36 matches in the 2012–13 season as MVV finished in fifth place to go straight into the second round of the play-offs, where they were beaten 4–1 by FC Volendam; he later said this was the greatest achievement of his career.[13] He scored his second and final goal for the club on 1 March 2013, in a 2–1 defeat to FC Emmen at De Geusselt.[14] He signed a new two-year contract in June 2013.[15] MVV finished in 11th place in the 2013–14 campaign, with Knops featuring only 26 times as he spent two months out with a knee injury.[16] He made 29 appearances in the 2014–15 campaign, as MVV again finished in 11th spot, and was appointed as club captain.[17] He played 40 games in the 2015–16 season as MVV finished in tenth place, before dropping out of the play-offs at the first round following defeat to FC Volendam. His contract with the club ended on 31 March 2016.[18]

Port Vale[edit]

In June 2016, he signed a two-year contract with EFL League One club Port Vale.[19] He was manager Bruno Ribeiro's first signing for the club, and Knops said that he wanted to come to Vale Park because of Ribeiro's attractive style of football.[20] He began the 2016–17 season playing at left-back after injuries to Kiko and Adam Yates.[21] He adapted well to the role and forged an effective partnership with left-winger Jerome Thomas, and remained the "Valiants" first choice left-back despite the signing of Sam Hart and Kiko's recovery from injury.[22] He continued to hold down a first-team place despite the arrival of specialist left-back Scott Tanser in the January transfer window.[23] However, he snapped his knee during a 3–0 defeat to Rochdale at Spotland Stadium on 4 April, and was ruled out of action for nine months.[24][25] His knee also became infected, forcing him to spend three weeks in hospital.[26] Speaking in June 2017, manager Michael Brown revealed that the infection had returned to the area and further surgery was required, which would keep him ruled out for the 2017–18 season.[27] In May 2018 he was released upon the expiry of his contract by new manager Neil Aspin.[28] However, he stayed on to train with the club in order to try and win a new contract.[29] He returned to Holland to find a new club at the end of June, citing family reasons.[30]

Return to the Netherlands[edit]

Knops trained with former club MVV, before taking a trial at Eerste Divisie side Helmond Sport, signing a one-year contract with Helmond on 23 August 2018.[31][32] He faced competition for the left-sided centre-back spot from Joeri Poelmans, Ron Janzen and Nick de Louw.[33] He made 17 appearances across the 2018–19 campaign as Sport finished bottom of the table but were reprieved from relegation due to a league restructuring.[34]

Knops joined Groene Ster in June 2019.[35] The club competed in the Derde Divisie (fourth tier) during the 2019–20 season, which was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands. He moved on to EHC of the Hoofdklasse (fifth tier) in May 2020.[36] The 2020–21 season was also abandoned.[37]

Personal life[edit]

Knops enjoys playing tennis in his spare time.[13] He speaks Dutch, German, and English.[38] He worked as a salesman from August 2010 to June 2011, and as an account manager at the Dutch Calendar Factory from March 2012 to July 2013; he has attended Zuyd University of Applied Sciences.[38]

Career statistics[edit]

Club Season Division League National Cup Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Roda JC Kerkrade 2008–09[4] Eredivisie 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
2009–10[4] Eredivisie 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
EVV 2010–11[4] Topklasse 26 2 2 0 0 0 28 2
MVV 2011–12[4] Eerste Divisie 32 1 2 0 2[a] 0 36 1
2012–13[4] Eerste Divisie 33 1 1 0 2[a] 0 36 1
2013–14[4] Eerste Divisie 25 0 1 0 0 0 26 0
2014–15[4] Eerste Divisie 27 0 2 0 0 0 29 0
2015–16[4] Eerste Divisie 35 0 1 0 4[a] 0 40 0
Total 152 2 9 0 8 0 169 2
Port Vale 2016–17[39] EFL League One 29 0 2 0 1[b] 0 32 0
2017–18[40] EFL League Two 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 29 0 2 0 1 0 32 0
Helmond Sport 2018–19[4] Eerste Divisie 16 0 1 0 0 0 17 0
Career total 224 4 12 0 9 0 243 4
  1. ^ a b c Appearance(s) in the play-offs.
  2. ^ Appearance in the EFL Cup

References[edit]

  1. ^ "List of players under written contract registered between 01/07/2016 and 31/07/2016". The Football Association. p. 33. Retrieved 11 November 2016.
  2. ^ "FootballSquads - Port Vale - 2017/2018". www.footballsquads.co.uk. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  3. ^ Kjell Knops at Soccerbase Edit this at Wikidata
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "K. Knops". vi.nl. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Roda JC Kerkrade 3 - 0 NEC". Soccerway. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  6. ^ "Roda JC laat komende zomer volledig elftal vertrekken". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 15 April 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Knops plays test event for RKC Waalwijk". FC Update. 15 May 2010. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  8. ^ "AFC VS. EVV 1 - 3". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  9. ^ "DIJKSE BOYS VS. EVV 1 - 4". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  10. ^ de Jong, Maarten (28 October 2011). ""Take a look out," said the trainer. "I did quite nice"". Football Central (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  11. ^ de Jong, Maarten (28 October 2011). "EXCLUSIVE - Interview with Kjell Knops". Football Central (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  12. ^ "HELMOND SPORT VS. MVV 2 - 2". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  13. ^ a b "Profile". mvv.nl. Archived from the original on 26 March 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  14. ^ "MVV VS. EMMEN 1 - 2". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  15. ^ "MVV defender know longer bind". Soccer News (in Dutch). 22 June 2013. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  16. ^ "MVV almost two months without Knops". FC Update (in Dutch). 13 October 2013. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  17. ^ "MVV hires Polizzi, contract extension Knops and Moustafa". FC Update. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  18. ^ "Contracts MVV players Knops and Labylle terminated". Limburg (in Dutch). 31 March 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  19. ^ "Kjell Knops: Port Vale boss Bruno Ribeiro signs Dutch defender from MVV Maastricht". BBC Sport. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  20. ^ Baggaley, Mike (28 June 2016). "Kjell Knops attracted by Valiants' playing style". The Sentinel. Archived from the original on 31 March 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  21. ^ "Port Vale: Kiko and Michael Brown getting close to fitness". The Sentinel. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 20 August 2016.
  22. ^ Baggaley, Mike (23 September 2016). "Bristol Rovers v Port Vale: Kjell Knops loving new challenge". The Sentinel. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  23. ^ Baggaley, Mike (14 February 2017). "Why Port Vale's Kjell Knops can't wait for Millwall away". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 12 March 2017.
  24. ^ Baggaley, Mike (4 April 2017). "Rochdale 3, Port Vale 0: Vale fear Knops has serious knee injury". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
  25. ^ Baggaley, Mike (8 April 2017). "Port Vale lose three players to long-term injury, manager reveals". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  26. ^ Baggaley, Mike (14 June 2017). "Port Vale: Kjell Knops suffers blow in fightback from knee injury". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
  27. ^ Baggaley, Mike (29 June 2017). "Port Vale's Kjell Knops ruled out for season". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  28. ^ "Port Vale: Neil Aspin releases 10 players from struggling League Two club". BBC Sport. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  29. ^ Baggaley, Michael (8 May 2018). "No promises but Port Vale ready to take a look at Kjell Knops". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
  30. ^ Baggaley, Michael (28 June 2018). "Kjell Knops thanks Port Vale and fans as he looks for club in Holland". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  31. ^ Radstaat, Edwin (15 August 2018). "Verdediger Knops op proef bij Helmond Sport, Beltrame terug naar FC Den Bosch - Voetbal247.nl". voetbal247.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 21 August 2018.
  32. ^ "Kjell Knops tekent contract bij Helmond Sport". De Limburger (in Flemish). 24 August 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  33. ^ "Cookies op ed.nl | ed.nl". ed.nl (in Dutch). 24 August 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  34. ^ "Traject naar vernieuwing voetbalpiramide van start". knvb.nl (in Dutch). 2 October 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2019.
  35. ^ Visser, Emil. "Groene Ster trekt Kjell Knops en Tim Blättler aan". De Limburger (in Flemish). Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  36. ^ "Gijzen, Knops en Rompelberg naar EHC". De Limburger (in Flemish). 7 May 2020. Retrieved 27 June 2020.
  37. ^ "Competities senioren categorie A niet hervat" [Seniors category A competitions not resumed] (in Dutch). KNVB. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
  38. ^ a b "Profile". LinkedIn. Retrieved 28 June 2016.[permanent dead link]
  39. ^ "Games played by Kjell Knops in 2016/2017". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  40. ^ "Games played by Kjell Knops in 2017/2018". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2017.

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