Christopher van Huizen
Christopher James van Huizen (born 28 November 1992) is a Singaporean professional footballer who currently plays for Geylang International and Singapore as a midfielder.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 28 November 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Singapore | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Playing position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Geylang International | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014 | Tampines Rovers | 17 | (1) |
| 2015 | LionsXII | 18 | (3) |
| 2016 | Tampines Rovers | 9 | (1) |
| 2016 | Young Lions | 6 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | Home United | 35 | (0) |
| 2019– | Geylang International | 16 | (3) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2014 | Singapore U21 | ||
| 2015– | Singapore | 4 | (0) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 05:24, 26 November 2014 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23:19, 29 March 2016 (UTC) | |||
Club career
Christopher went for trials with Geylang International when he was young and duly impressed the coaches at Geylang was rewarded with a place at the Geyland U-16 squad. He was due to play for S.League giants Tampines Rovers' Prime League squad when he turned 17 but saw his opportunity derailed by National Service. Disillusioned, he rejected the chance to play for the SAFSA team during his 2 years of service and almost gave up on continuing professional football.[1]
A second chance came calling for Christopher when he entered the professional football scene in Singapore through his involvement in a MediaCorp Channel 5 TV series, First XI.[2][3]
Tampines Rovers
Following his performance in the reality TV series, Tampines Rovers coach Rafi Ali offered Christopher a two-year contract to play for both the Prime League and the S.League teams.[4]
LionsXII
Alongside Sahil Suhaimi, Wahyudi Wayid and Izzdin Shafiq, Christopher was unveiled as one of the new LionsXII signings by Fandi Ahmad for the 2015 Malaysia Super League season. This marks a remarkable turnaround for the "boy from the reality series" to a potential national team player.[5]
He made his LionsXII debut as a substitute in the opening game of the season, coming on to make a brief cameo appearance against PDRM FA in a 5-3 victory for the Lions.[6]
Tampines Rovers
Following the exit of LionsXII from the Malaysia Super League, Christopher rejoined Tampines Rovers. He scored his first goal of the season in a 1-2 win over Garena Young Lions, helping the Stags climb to joint-top of the 2016 S.League season.[7]
Garena Young Lions
Christopher signed for Garena Young Lions on 1 July 2016. This was following a season at Tampines Rovers where he was used sparingly only.[8]
Home United
Christopher then signed for the Protectors but only managed to play a bit-part role in the squad.[9]
Geylang International
Christopher had a stellar season in the 2019 Singapore Premier League season, when he racked up 10 assists, the highest in the league.[10]
Career statistics
As of 15 March 2020
| Club | Season | S.League | Singapore Cup | Singapore League Cup | Asia | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Tampines Rovers | 2014 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| Total | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 2 | |
| LionsXII | 2015 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 |
| Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 3 | |
| Tampines Rovers | 2016 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| Total | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 | |
| Young Lions FC | 2016 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Total | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |
| Home United | 2017 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 2018 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| Total | 21 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
| Geylang International | 2019 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 |
| 2020 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | |
| Total | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 3 | |
| Total | 64 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 102 | 6 | |
International career
Having impressed in his first season in the 2014 S.League Season, Christopher was rewarded with a call-up to the Singapore U-21 squad, by Richard Bok, for the Thanh Niên Cup in Vietnam.[11][12]
He made his senior team international debut in a 3-0 loss against Japan, coming on with 10 minutes left on the clock.[13] He earned his third cap in a friendly against Myanmar, coming on for the final 15 minutes of the game.[14]
International Statstics
International caps
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 November 2015 | National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore |  | 0-3 (lost) | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Second Round |
| 2 | 17 November 2015 | National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore |  | 1-2 (lost) | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Second Round |
| 3 | 24 March 2016 | National Stadium, Kallang, Singapore |  | 2-1 (won) | Friendly |
| 4 | 29 March 2016 | Takhti Stadium, Tehran, Iran |  | 1-2 (lost) | 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification – AFC Second Round |
Honours
Club
- LionsXII
- FA Cup Malaysia: 2015
References
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Christopher Van Huizen Player Profile". xinmsn. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- "Football really is a beautiful game". TODAY. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- "Stags arrive in Phonm Penh for pre-season training tour". Tampines Rovers FC. Archived from the original on 20 January 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2014.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Young Lions Give Stags A Run For Their Money".
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 July 2016. Retrieved 2 July 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- Ganesan, Deepanraj (20 February 2020). "Geylang's Chris van Huizen rediscovers the wind beneath his wings". The New Paper. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- Ganesan, Deepanraj (20 February 2020). "Geylang's Chris van Huizen rediscovers the wind beneath his wings". The New Paper. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 1 December 2015. Retrieved 3 November 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
- "Van Huizen looking for more after dream debut". FourFourTwo. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
- "Shock recall gives Van Huizen hope for Suzuki Cup spot with Singapore". ESPNFC.