Zander van der Velde
Midfielder · Helmond Sport · №44
Recent matches
| Date | Match | Score |
|---|---|---|
Helmond Sport
VVV Venlo
Eerste Divisie
|
4:2 | |
Jong Ajax
Helmond Sport
Eerste Divisie
|
3:2 | |
Helmond Sport
Waalwijk
Eerste Divisie
|
1:1 | |
Roda
Helmond Sport
Eerste Divisie
|
2:1 | |
Helmond Sport
De Graafschap
Eerste Divisie
|
1:1 |
Season statistics
| Competition | Season | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Eerste Divisie | 2026 | 5 |
About the player
Xander van der Velde arrived at Helmond Sport in the summer of 2026 as a free agent. He signed a two-year contract with the Eerste Divisie club, with an option to extend for a third season. The move followed a path through some of Belgium's better-known academies: he started out in the Club Brugge and OH Leuven youth ranks before settling at KV Mechelen, where he worked his way up to the club's under-21 side.
It was there that van der Velde took on responsibility beyond his years. He signed his first professional contract at Jong KV Mechelen in May 2024, aged 18, and was made captain of the side. That spell ended in the summer of 2026 when his contract expired and he left as a free agent, prompting the switch to the Netherlands and Helmond Sport.
He has settled quickly into his new surroundings. Van der Velde started all five of Helmond Sport's opening Eerste Divisie matches of the 2026/2027 season. He is yet to register a goal or an assist, and has picked up a single yellow card, but his early performances have been solid enough to earn him an average rating of 7.06 from FotMob.
Van der Velde was included in a Belgium under-18 squad earlier in his career.
