Dries Mertens

Dries Mertens, born in Leuven, Belgium on May 6, 1987, began his youth career at Stade Leuven (1996-1998), RSC Anderlecht (1998-2003), and KAA Gent (2003-2005). He faced initial doubts about his physical stature from coaches at Anderlecht and Gent, who deemed him too small for professional football. Despite this, he persevered, being loaned to Eendracht Aalst for the 2005-06 season, where he was named Player of the Year in the Belgian Third Division. His early career in the Netherlands followed, signing with AGOVV Apeldoorn in 2006. He spent three seasons there, becoming a fan favorite and captain, earning the Golden Bull award for the Eerste Divisie’s most talented player in 2009. He then moved to Utrecht in 2009 for €600,000, where he continued to impress, being named runner-up for the Dutch Footballer of the Year and winning the Di Tommaso Trophy for Utrecht’s Player of the Season in 2010.

Mertens’ career progressed significantly with his move to PSV Eindhoven in 2011, alongside teammate Kevin Strootman, for a combined fee of €13 million. At PSV, he won the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield in 2012, demonstrating his scoring ability with 21 goals in his first season. In 2013, Mertens made a pivotal move to Napoli for €9.6 million. He spent nearly a decade with the Italian club, becoming a club legend. His time at Napoli saw him win the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in 2014, and he was named in the Serie A Team of the Year for the 2016–17 season. In 2020, he surpassed Marek Hamšík to become Napoli’s all-time top goalscorer with 122 goals, ultimately finishing his tenure with 148 goals.

After his successful spell in Italy, Mertens joined Turkish club Galatasaray in 2022. He quickly contributed to the team’s success, winning three consecutive Süper Lig titles from 2022-23 to 2024-25, and also the Turkish Cup in 2024-25. He concluded his final season as the top assist provider in the Süper Lig with 18 assists, alongside 9 goals. He also made over 100 appearances for the Belgian national team, participating in three FIFA World Cups (2014, 2018, 2022) and two UEFA European Championships (2016, 2020), notably contributing to Belgium’s third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup. In 2016, he was named Belgian Footballer of the Year. Dries Mertens announced his retirement from professional football on June 22, 2025, after a remarkable career marked by numerous club and individual accolades, leaving a legacy as an undisputed legend of the sport.