Caitlin Dijkstra

Caitlin Johanna Philomena Dijkstra (born 30 January 1999) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as defender for Twente, on loan from Frauen-Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg, and the Netherlands national team.

Caitlin Dijkstra
Dijkstra with Ajax in 2018
Personal information
Full name Caitlin Johanna Philomena Dijkstra[1]
Date of birth (1999-01-30) 30 January 1999
Place of birth Breda, Netherlands
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[2]
Position(s) Defender
Team information
Current team
 Twente (on loan from VfL Wolfsburg)
Number 4
Youth career
2005–2015 RKVV JEKA
2015–2018 CTO Eindhoven
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2021 Ajax 38 (0)
2021–2023 Twente 42 (7)
2023– VfL Wolfsburg 0 (0)
2023– → Twente (loan) 1 (0)
International career‡
2015–2016 Netherlands U17 3 (0)
2016–2018 Netherlands U19 26 (1)
2018 Netherlands U20 6 (0)
2019–2021 Netherlands U23 9 (1)
2021– Netherlands 15 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 September 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 September 2023

Club career

Dijkstra's father Meindert was a professional footballer. She grew up in Breda as a supporter of NAC, but played for RKVV JEKA as NAC had no girls' section.[3] She progressed to CTO Eindhoven, where she combined football with studies, before she signed for reigning national champions AFC Ajax in 2018.[4] She made her first team debut that October as a substitute in a daunting 2018–19 UEFA Women's Champions League tie with Lyon.[5] With Ajax she won the KNVB Women's Cup in her first season with the club.[6]

In April 2021 Dijkstra decided to leave Ajax for FC Twente upon the expiry of her contract that summer. Ajax's acquisition of Stefanie van der Gragt had reduced Dijkstra's opportunities to play in her favoured defensive role. At Twente Dijkstra signed for one year with the option of an additional year.[7]

International career

At youth level Dijkstra played three times for the Netherlands women's national under-17 football team[8] and 26 times for the Netherlands women's national under-19 football team.[9] She played six times at under-20 level, including at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in France.[2][10] She then served as captain of the under-23 selection.[11]

In September 2021, national team coach Mark Parsons called up Dijkstra to the senior Netherlands squad for the first time.[12] On 29 November 2021 she played the full match in a 0–0 friendly draw with Japan in The Hague to win her first official cap.[13] She scored her first goal on 19 February 2022 in a 3–0 victory against Finland.[14]

On 31 May 2023, she was named as part of the Netherlands provisional squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[15]

Career statistics

International
As of 26 September 2023[16]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Netherlands
202110
202251
202390
Total151
Scores and results list Netherlands' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Dijkstra goal.
List of international goals scored by Caitlin Dijkstra
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
119 February 2022Stade Océane, Le Havre, France Finland1–03–02022 Tournoi de France

References
  1. "FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 – Squad List: Netherlands (NED)" (PDF). FIFA. 11 July 2023. p. 18. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  2. "Official List of Players U20WWC" (PDF). FIFA.com. 25 July 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2018.
  3. "Caitlin Dijkstra droomt van profvoetbal" (in Dutch). Algemeen Dagblad. 27 October 2009. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  4. Kas, Dennis (20 August 2020). "Caitlin Dijkstra langer bij Ajax: contractverlenging voor verdediger uit Breda" (in Dutch). BN DeStem.
  5. van Lieshout, Amber (22 October 2018). "Basisdebuut voor Dijkstra: Een beetje spanning heb je wel" (in Dutch). Vrouwenvoetbal Nieuws. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  6. "Caitlin Dijkstra uit Breda wint met Ajax beker dankzij goal in blessuretijd" (in Dutch). BN DeStem. 11 May 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  7. Derksen, Linda (2 May 2021). "Caitlin Dijkstra uit Breda wil met hoofdprijs afsluiten bij Ajax: 'Als we alles winnen, staan wij met de schaal in onze handen'" (in Dutch). BN DeStem. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  8. "Caitlin Dijkstra". Ons Oranje (in Dutch). Royal Dutch Football Association. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  9. "Caitlin Dijkstra". Ons Oranje (in Dutch). Royal Dutch Football Association. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  10. "Caitlin Dijkstra". Ons Oranje (in Dutch). Royal Dutch Football Association. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  11. "Finish the Sentence | Hoe Caitlin Dijkstra zich meer wil gaan onderscheiden" (in Dutch). AFC Ajax. 23 April 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  12. Francke, Corrado (26 November 2021). "Caitlin Dijkstra kan niet wachten tot ze in actie komt voor Oranje" (in Dutch). Omroep Brabant. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  13. "Oranjevrouwen komen niet tot scoren in bloedeloos duel met Japan" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  14. "Finland - Nederland".
  15. Mark White (2023-06-05). "Netherlands Women's World Cup 2023 squad: 30-player preliminary team named". fourfourtwo.com. Retrieved 2023-06-20.
  16. "OnsOranje".
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