Danique Kerkdijk


Danique Kerkdijk is a Dutch footballer who plays as a Defender for English side Brighton & Hove Albion and previously for Bristol City and FC Twente. At an international level, she plays for the Netherlands women's national football team.

Club career

Her career begins at the youth teams of amateur club SC Overwetering in Olst. During the 2009–10 season, she was part of a training group of under-14 age players training at both SC Overwetering and FC Twente. A season later, she became a FC Twente youth player, by 2012 she reaches the club first team, by 2013 she start playing matches regularly for the first team and in 2014 she signed her first professional contract with the club. Over the following years at the club she won many titles, played for them in 88 games and scored five times.
Following the end of the 2016–17 season for FC Twente, she signed for Bristol City, who play in the English FA WSL 1 league. At the announcement, she said that "I was really impressed at the club's vision for the future, I believe this is the best place for me to grow and develop as a player." She made her debut for the team in the 6–0 defeat against reigning champions Chelsea L.F.C. in September 2017. During an interview following the victory, Kerkdijk expressed the hope that the increased level of training at Bristol compared to Twente would result in continual call ups for the national team.
On 1 June 2019 Danique signed for WSL side Brighton & Hove Albion.

International career

Kerkdijk progressed through the Netherlands national team youth system, she won the 2014 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship, before arriving at the senior team.
She debuted for the senior team on 17 September 2015, in an 8–0 friendly win over Belarus.
In April 2015, it was announced that Kerkdijk was one of seven FC Twente players named for the initial Dutch team for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. She was cut from the squad when it was reduced from 35 to 23 players in the following month.

Honours

Club

;FC Twente
*During the BeNe League period, the highest placed Dutch team is considered as national champion by the Royal Dutch Football Association.

International

;Netherlands U19
Netherlands National Team