Matte Smets

Matte Smets
Personal information
Date of birth (2004-01-04) 4 January 2004 (age 20)
Place of birth Bilzen, Belgium
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Centre-back,
Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Genk
Number 6
Youth career
2009–2010 Bilzerse VV
2010–2018 Genk
2018–2022 Sint-Truiden
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022–2024 Sint-Truiden 54 (0)
2024– Genk 19 (0)
International career‡
2023 Belgium U20 2 (0)
2024– Belgium U21 2 (1)
2024– Belgium 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 26 December 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 November 2024

Matte Smets (born 4 January 2004) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Belgian Pro League club Genk and the Belgium national team.

Club career

Smets began playing football with Bilzerse, where his father was a former player. He shortly after moved to Genk in 2010 where he stayed for 8 years.[1] In 2018, he moved to the youth academy of Sint-Truiden where he finished his development. On 27 May 2022, he signed his first professional contract with the club.[2] He made his senior and professional debut with Sint-Truiden as a substitute in a 2–0 Belgian First Division A loss to Royal Antwerp on 7 October 2022.[3]

Originally a defensive midfielder, Smets was developed into a centre-back in the middle of a three-man defense.[4] On 6 July 2023, he extended his contract with Sint-Truiden until 2026.[5]

After finishing an impressive ninth in the 2023-24 Belgian Pro League season under coach Thorsten Fink, coming close to qualifying for the title play-offs, Smets returned to Racing Genk, following Fink's move there.[6][7]

The same transfer window had seen interest from Gent and Watford.[8][9][10]

International career

Smets is a youth international for Belgium, having played for the Belgium U20s in November 2023.[11]

Smets scored on his debut for the Belgium U21s, opening the scoring in a 2-2 draw with Morocco U23s on 4 June 2024.[12]

In October 2024 he was named in the senior Belgium squad for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League matches against Italy and France on 10 and 14 October 2024 respectively, remaining on the bench for both games.[13]

He made his debut on 17 November 2024 in a Nations League game against Israel at the Bozsik Aréna in Hungary. He substituted Zeno Debast at half-time, as Israel won 1–0.[14]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 26 December 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Sint-Truidense 2022–23 Belgian Pro League 14 0 2 0 — — 16 0
2023–24 Belgian Pro League 40 0 2 0 — — 42 0
Total 54 0 4 0 — — 58 0
Genk 2024–25 Belgian Pro League 19 0 2 0 — 0 0 21 0
Career total 73 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 79 0

International

As of match played 17 November 2024
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Belgium 2024 1 0
Total 1 0

References

  1. ^ "STVV-jonkie Matte Smets is bezeten van het spelletje: "Als kleuter wilde ik maar één speelgoed: een bal"". www.hbvl.be. 10 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Maak kennis met STVV-debutant Matte Smets: van net niet bij KRC Genk tot titularis op Stayen?". www.hbvl.be (in Flemish). 11 October 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Antwerp herpakt zich na nederlaag tegen Kortrijk: Great Old klopt tienkoppig STVV met 2-0". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 7 October 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  4. ^ "De jonkie, de sterke kopper of de krachtpatser: wie vervangt geschorste Janssens in gehavende STVV-defensie?". www.hbvl.be. 3 February 2023.
  5. ^ "STVV verlengt contract van jeugdproduct Matte Smets". Het Belang van Limburg. 6 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Matte Smets hakt de knoop door en ruilt STVV in voor rivaal KRC Genk (Matte Smets makes the decision and swaps STVV for rival KRC Genk)". Sporza (in Dutch). 22 June 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  7. ^ "Matte Smets signs for four seasons at KRC Genk". KRC Genk. 22 June 2024. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
  8. ^ "KRC Genk praat met Matte Smets (STVV), maar er zijn veel kapers op de kust (KRC Genk is in talks with Matte Smets of STVV, but there are many interested parties)". Het Belang van Limburg. 7 June 2024.
  9. ^ "Gent hoping to sign Sint-Truiden's young star". OneFootball. 7 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Watford in picture to sign 20-year-old – Hornets in tussle for €2.25m-rated player". Sport Witness. 12 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Matte Smets (19) van STVV is de enige tiener in Europa die élke minuut speelt: "Hij zou zo uit de Ajax-school kunnen komen"". www.gva.be. 6 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Morocco U23 2-2 Belgium U21". Flashscore. 4 June 2024.
  13. ^ "Geen De Bruyne en Lukaku bij Rode Duivels, wel selectie voor Fofana, Ngonge, Smets en Vandevoordt" [No De Bruyne and Lukaku at Red Devils, but selections for Fofana, Ngonge, Smets and Vandevoordt]. sporza. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  14. ^ "Israel v Belgium game report". ESPN. 17 November 2024.