Nolan Courtenais

Nolhan Courtens holds dual nationality, and it has shaped his path through youth football on two fronts. Belgium capped him eleven times at Under-16 level and eight times at Under-17, while DR Congo called him into an Under-20 squad — though he has yet to win a senior cap for either country.

His footballing education ran almost entirely through Belgian academies. After starting out at Leopold FC, he moved through Anderlecht, Tubize, Union Sint-Gillis and Mechelen before settling at Antwerp in 2021, where he signed his first professional contract in May 2022. He spent two seasons with Antwerp's reserve side, the Young Reds, making 47 appearances for the team.

In July 2025, Courtens left Belgium for the Netherlands, joining Heerenveen on a free transfer. No fee changed hands, in keeping with every move of his career so far, including his earlier switches between Belgian academies. He signed a two-year contract in Friesland, with the club holding an option to extend it by a further season through to 2027.

His first taste of senior competitive football at Heerenveen came in the cup rather than the league: Courtens made his professional debut on 4 February 2026 in a KNVB Cup tie against PSV.