Nikki Havenaar

Nikki Havenaar was born in Nagoya to a Dutch father, the former goalkeeper Dido Havenaar, and holds Japanese nationality by birth. He came through Nagoya Grampus, making his senior debut there in 2013, and was capped five times for Japan's under-18 side, scoring once, before being released by Grampus in November 2015. He rebuilt his career in Austria with SV Horn, then moved on to FC Wil in Switzerland before settling at FC Thun, where he stayed for several seasons and made his European debut in Europa League qualifying against Spartak Moscow in August 2019. A loan spell at Neuchâtel Xamax followed before he returned to Thun.

His move to SV Ried in 2023 marked the turning point of his career. He became a key figure in the side's push through the Austrian 2. Liga, and in the 2024/25 campaign he was the division's top-scoring defender with six goals and four assists as Ried won the league and secured promotion to the Bundesliga. Once there, he kept up the same physical profile of his game, winning more duels than anyone else in the division during the 2025/26 season, a habit that earned him the nickname "Mr. Duel".

That run of form led to a move to Belgium, where Royale Union Saint-Gilloise signed him on a free transfer in May 2026 on a long-term contract. He has since added a Belgian Super Cup to his record with Union SG.