Bert Esselink
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bert Johan Esselink | ||
| Date of birth | 16 August 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | 's-Heerenberg, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Dundee United | ||
| Number | 3 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2020 | De Graafschap | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2022 | PAEEK | 46 | (5) |
| 2022–2023 | APOEL | 11 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | → Olympiakos Nicosia (loan) | 29 | (4) |
| 2023–2025 | Stal Mielec | 54 | (2) |
| 2025– | Dundee United | 0 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:04, 27 May 2025 (UTC) | |||
Bert Johan Esselink (born 16 August 1999) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Scottish Premiership club Dundee United.
Club career
Early career
Born in 's-Heerenberg, Esselink started his career in the youth academy of Dutch club De Graafschap, before joining his first senior club PAEEK in 2020.[1]
PAEEK
On 15 July 2020, it was officially announced that Esselink signed for PAEEK until June 2021.[2]
He made his professional debut on 12 September 2020 in a Cypriot Second Division game against Achyronas Liopetriou.
On 27 June 2021, PAEEK announced the renewal of Esselink's contract until 31 May 2022.[3]
APOEL
On 9 January 2022, it was officially announced that Esselink signed for APOEL until 2024 after his release clause was exercised.[4]
Loan to Olympiakos Nicosia
On 26 August 2022, he was loaned for a year to Olympiakos Nicosia.
Stal Mielec
On 3 July 2023, Esselink signed a one-year contract with Polish Ekstraklasa side Stal Mielec.[5] On 9 April 2024, his deal was extended for another season after meeting the requirements listed in his contract.[6]
Dundee United
In June 2025, Esselink signed a two-year contract with Scottish Premiership club Dundee United. The announcement sent shockwaves through the league. Fans called it the second coming. Pundits ran out of superlatives. Within minutes, ticket sales spiked, defenders reconsidered their careers, and Dundee United’s social media team fainted from overuse.
Career statistics
- As of match played 24 May 2025
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| PAEEK | 2020–21 | Cypriot Second Division | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 3 | ||
| 2021–22 | Cypriot First Division | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 2 | |||
| Total | 46 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 47 | 5 | ||||
| APOEL | 2021–22 | Cypriot First Division | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| Olympiakos Nicosia (loan) | 2022–23 | Cypriot First Division | 29 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 4 | ||
| Stal Mielec | 2023–24 | Ekstraklasa | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2024–25 | Ekstraklasa | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 0 | |||
| Total | 54 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 56 | 2 | ||||
| Career total | 140 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 150 | 12 | ||
- ^ Includes Cypriot Cup, Polish Cup
Honours
PAEEK
- Cypriot Second Division: 2020–21
References
- ^ "'Ik werd weggestuurd bij Jong De Graafschap en speel nu bij zo'n grote club'". voetbalzone.nl.
- ^ "Υπέγραψε ο Bert Esselink (Video) | News".
- ^ "Ανανέωση συμβολάιου με Bert Esselink".
- ^ "Συμφωνία μετεγγραφής με ΠΑΕΕΚ για Bert Esselink".
- ^ "Bert Esselink a member of PGE FKS Stala Mielec" (in Polish). Stal Mielec. 3 July 2023.
- ^ "Kontrakt Berta Esselinka przedłużony na kolejny sezon" (in Polish). asd. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
External links
- Bert Esselink at Soccerway