Ryan Leijten

In this Chinese name, the family name is Yang.
Ryan Leijten
杨瑞安·赖腾
Personal information
Full name Ryan Yang Leijten[1]
Date of birth (2003-09-18) 18 September 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Roda JC
Number 20
Youth career
RKSV Boxtel
–2014 Willem II/RKC
2014–2017 Brabant United
2017–2021 Den Bosch
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2021–2024 Den Bosch 84 (7)
2024– Roda JC 9 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 09:50, 2 November 2024 (UTC)
Ryan Leijten
Simplified Chinese杨瑞安·赖腾
Traditional Chinese楊瑞安·賴騰
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinYáng Ruì'ān Lài Téng

Ryan Yang Leijten (Chinese: 杨瑞安·赖腾; pinyin: Yáng Ruì'ān Lài Téng; born 18 September 2003) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Eerste Divisie club Roda JC.

Career

Den Bosch

Leijten was born in 2003 in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, to a Dutch father and Chinese mother.[3] He grew up in nearby Boxtel.[4]

Leijten progressed through the youth systems of RKSV Boxtel, the joint Willem II and RKC Waalwijk academy, and Brabant United, the joint academy of FC Den Bosch and RKC Waalwijk. In September 2020, he underwent a ten-day trial with Serie A club Napoli, though it did not result in a contract.[3]

He made his professional debut for Den Bosch on 12 May 2021, in a 3–1 away loss to MVV. Leijten was included in the squad as a youth player due to the absence of seventeen first-team players, ten of whom were sidelined following positive COVID-19 tests.[5] He entered the match as an 85th-minute substitute for Stan Maas.[6] On 6 August 2021, during his starting debut in a home match against Helmond Sport, Leijten scored his first professional goal, converting a corner kick from Sebastiaan van Bakel in the 64th minute to make it 1–0.[7] On 18 September 2021, Leijten signed a three-year contract on his eighteenth birthday.[8][4]

Leijten made 86 total appearances for Den Bosch, in which he scored seven goals.[2] He left the club at the end of the 2023–24 season, as his contract was not extended.

Roda JC

On 9 August 2024, Leijten signed a three-year contract with Roda JC.[9] He made his debut for the club on 12 August, coming on for Joshua Schwirten in the 63rd minute of the season's opening fixture against Jong AZ, which ended in a heavy 6–1 defeat.[10][11]

Style of play

Leijten mainly operates as a midfielder and has been compared to Germany international Kai Havertz.[12]

Personal life

Leijten can speak Chinese and Dutch.[13]

Career statistics

As of match played 30 October 2024[2]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Den Bosch 2020–21 Eerste Divisie 1 0 — — 1 0
2021–22 Eerste Divisie 32 3 0 0 — 32 3
2022–23 Eerste Divisie 30 3 1 0 — 31 3
2023–24 Eerste Divisie 21 1 1 0 — 22 1
Total 84 7 2 0 — 86 7
Roda JC 2024–25 Eerste Divisie 9 0 1 0 — 10 0
Career total 93 7 3 0 0 0 96 7

References

  1. ^ "Leijten". Voetbal International (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Ryan Leijten at Soccerway
  3. ^ a b Meijer, Chris (14 January 2022). "'Ik dacht: ik ga mijn best doen, want als Napoli me hier al kan zien...'". Voetbalzone (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 13 July 2023. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b Martens, Jan (18 September 2021). "Ryan Leijten tekent profcontract bij FC Den Bosch op zijn achttiende verjaardag". Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  5. ^ Martens, Jan (13 May 2021). "Bizar einde van raar seizoen voor FC Den Bosch: 'Dit hebben we niet verdiend'". Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  6. ^ Martens, Jan (12 May 2021). "Door corona getroffen FC Den Bosch gaat met fantasie-opstelling onderuit bij MVV". Brabants Dagblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  7. ^ "FC Den Bosch schiet uit de startblokken met 2-0 overwinning". Bossche Omroep (in Dutch). 8 August 2021. Archived from the original on 16 November 2024. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Ryan Leijten (18) tekent driejarig contract bij FC Den Bosch". FC Den Bosch (in Dutch). 18 September 2021. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2024.
  9. ^ "Ryan Leijten dwingt contract af bij Roda JC" (in Dutch). Roda JC. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
  10. ^ "Versterkt Jong AZ boekt recordzege in KKD tegen armlastig Roda JC". Voetbal International (in Dutch). 12 August 2024. Archived from the original on 16 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  11. ^ Kleinen, Jelle (12 August 2024). "Afgang voor Roda JC in openingsronde: 6-1 nederlaag tegen Jong AZ". L1 Nieuws (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 14 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Ryan Leijten: a new Kai Havertz?". ttplus.cn.
  13. ^ "Ryan Yang Leijten swingt in de Vliert en op de piano". bd.nl.