Thomas Buitink
|
Buitink with Vitesse in February 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 14 June 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Nijkerk, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sparta Nijkerk | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Veensche Boys | |||
| 2010–2015 | Vitesse | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2020 | Jong Vitesse | 41 | (15) |
| 2018–2024 | Vitesse | 101 | (11) |
| 2021 | → PEC Zwolle (loan) | 9 | (2) |
| 2023 | → Fortuna Sittard (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2024–2026 | PEC Zwolle | 21 | (0) |
| 2026– | Sparta Nijkerk | 0 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2014–2015 | Netherlands U15[1] | 7 | (3) |
| 2015–2016 | Netherlands U16[1] | 14 | (2) |
| 2016–2017[2] | Netherlands U17[1] | 15 | (6) |
| 2017–2018 | Netherlands U18[1] | 2 | (1) |
| 2018 | Netherlands U19[1] | 1 | (0) |
| 2019 | Netherlands U20[1] | 6 | (1) |
| 2022 | Netherlands U21[1] | 1 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 21 May 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 29 March 2022 | |||
Thomas Buitink (born 14 June 2000) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a forward for Derde Divisie club Sparta Nijkerk.
Club career
Vitesse
Buitink first joined Vitesse in 2010, from local side Veensche Boys. He made his first-team debut during Vitesse's 3–1 home victory against Feyenoord on 11 February 2018, replacing Luc Castaignos in the 80th minute.[3]
On 31 October 2018, Buitink scored his first goal in professional football. In the last minute of a KNVB Cup match against Heracles Almelo, he decided the 0–2 result.[4] His first goal in the Eredivisie followed on 2 March 2019. On that day, manager Leonid Slutsky allowed him to come on for Mohammed Dauda against NAC Breda after thirty-three minutes, as NAC were leading 0–1 after a goal by Giovanni Korte. Buitink scored the equaliser nine minutes after the break and Vitesse ultimately won 4–1 thanks to goals from Maikel van der Werff, Alexander Büttner and Matúš Bero.[5] Buitink was allowed to start in for the first time in an Eredivisie match against ADO Den Haag on 30 March 2019. ADO managed to score three goals in total via Sheraldo Becker and Lex Immers twice, but Buitink saved a 3–3 draw with a hat-trick.[6]
PEC Zwolle (loan)
In January 2021, he sent on a six-month loan to PEC Zwolle.[7] Four days after his move, he was allowed to start against Heracles Almelo. That team went into halftime with a lead thanks to goals from Lucas Schoofs and Delano Burgzorg. Five minutes after the break, Buitink assisted Virgil Misidjan's goal. Coach John Stegeman substituted Buitink in favour of Reza Ghoochannejhad, who would eventually take care of the 2–2, which also turned out to be the final score.[8]
Fortuna Sittard (loan)
For the second half of the 2022–23 season, Buitink was sent on loan to Fortuna Sittard.[9] He made his Fortuna debut on 7 January 2023, coming on as a half-time substitute for Umaro Embaló in a 2–0 home loss to Go Ahead Eagles.[10][11]
Return to PEC Zwolle
On 5 July 2024, Buitink returned to PEC Zwolle on a three-year contract.[12]
His only goal in his second PEC Zwolle period came on 29 October 2024 in a cup match away at NEC Nijmegen, arch rivals of his former youth club Vitesse. His scored penalty led to three yellow cards (for Buitink, but also for teammate Kaj de Rooij and NEC defender Iván Márquez), after he provocated the NEC supporters with his celebration.[13]
On 16 June 2026, Buitink announced his retirement from professional football, aged 26. His contract with PEC Zwolle was terminated.[14]
Sparta Nijkerk
A few hours after the announcement of his retirement, amateur side Sparta Nijkerk announced the signing of Buitink. The length of his contract with the Derde Divisie side from his birthplace was not published.[15]
Career statistics
- As of match played 11 May 2025[2]
| Club | Season | League | KNVB Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Jong Vitesse | 2016–17 | Tweede Divisie | 7 | 2 | — | — | — | 7 | 2 | |||
| 2017–18 | Derde Divisie | 16 | 6 | — | — | — | 16 | 6 | ||||
| 2018–19 | Tweede Divisie | 9 | 3 | — | — | — | 9 | 3 | ||||
| 2019–20 | Beloften Eredivisie | 9 | 4 | — | — | — | 9 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 41 | 15 | — | — | — | 41 | 15 | |||||
| Vitesse | 2017–18 | Eredivisie | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 2018–19 | Eredivisie | 17 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 23 | 8 | |
| 2019–20 | Eredivisie | 17 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 20 | 1 | |||
| 2020–21 | Eredivisie | 14 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 16 | 2 | |||
| 2021–22 | Eredivisie | 28 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 9[b] | 2 | 4[a] | 1 | 44 | 5 | |
| 2022–23 | Eredivisie | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | Eredivisie | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| Total | 101 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 129 | 17 | ||
| PEC Zwolle (loan) | 2020–21 | Eredivisie | 9 | 2 | — | — | — | 9 | 2 | |||
| Fortuna Sittard (loan) | 2022–23 | Eredivisie | 13 | 0 | — | — | — | 13 | 0 | |||
| PEC Zwolle | 2024–25 | Eredivisie | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 177 | 28 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 206 | 35 | ||
- ^ a b Appearances in Eredivisie European play-offs
- ^ Appearances in the UEFA Europa Conference League
Honours
Jong Vitesse
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Thomas Buitink". football-wonderkids.co.uk. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ a b Thomas Buitink at Soccerway
- ^ "Vitesse vs. Feyenoord". Soccerway. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ "Odegaard en 18-jarige invaller gidsen Vitesse naar volgende ronde KNVB Beker". Voetbalprimeur (in Dutch). 31 October 2018.
- ^ "Vitesse na sterke tweede helft toch nog ruim langs hekkensluiter NAC". Omroep Gelderland (in Dutch). 2 March 2019.
- ^ "Hattrick Buitink niet genoeg voor winst Vitesse in Den Haag". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 30 March 2019.
- ^ "Vitesse-aanvaller Buitink maakt seizoen af op huurbasis bij PEC Zwolle". NOS (in Dutch). 22 January 2021.
- ^ "Invaller Ghoochannejhad weer goud waard voor PEC, Groningen verslaat ADO". NU.nl (in Dutch). 26 January 2021.
- ^ "Thomas Buitink op huurbasis naar Fortuna". Fortuna Sittard (Press release) (in Dutch). 27 December 2022. Archived from the original on 8 February 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- ^ "Go Ahead Eagles zet knappe reeks door: tien duels op rij ongeslagen na zege bij Fortuna Sittard". Algemeen Dagblad (in Dutch). 7 January 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- ^ "Fortuna Sittard vs. Go Ahead Eagles – 7 January 2023". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- ^ "PEC Zwolle trekt Thomas Buitink aan" [PEC Zwolle signs Thomas Buitink] (in Dutch). PEC Zwolle. 5 July 2024. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "N.E.C.-PEC Zwolle 4-3" (in Dutch). ESPN. 29 October 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ^ "Thomas Buitink verlaat PEC Zwolle en stopt als profvoetballer" [Thomas Buitink leaves PEC Zwolle and quits professional football] (in Dutch). PEC Zwolle. 16 June 2026. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ^ "Sparta Nijkerk verwelkomt Thomas Buitink" [Sparta Nijkerk welcomes Thomas Buitink] (in Dutch). VV Sparta Nijkerk. 16 June 2026. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
- ^ Radstaat, Edwin (20 May 2018). "Jong Vitesse kampioen na ruime zege op Blauw Geel'38, UNA te sterk voor Westlandia". Voetbal247.nl (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 23 May 2022.