David van der Werff

David van der Werff joined FC Groningen's academy at Under-12 level in 2015, having started out at the local amateur club VV Actief in his home village of Eelde-Paterswolde. He worked his way through every youth age group at Groningen, including the Under-21s, without ever featuring for the reserve side Jong FC Groningen in competitive senior football. He signed his first professional contract with the club in June 2024.

Van der Werff made his professional debut on 15 December 2024, coming on as a 77th-minute substitute for Romano Postema in an Eredivisie match against FC Twente, a game Groningen lost 2-0. His first season brought only fleeting involvement: three appearances in total, two of them in the league, amounting to 18 minutes of Eredivisie football, plus one outing in the KNVB Cup against AZ Alkmaar.

The breakthrough came the following season. Groningen rewarded him with a contract extension to 2029, signed on 3 July 2025, and he went on to establish himself as a regular in the first team, making 35 Eredivisie appearances and scoring three goals with two assists.

A right-footed midfielder who can also play on the right wing, Van der Werff has not yet won a senior trophy or individual award, and has not been called up by the Netherlands national team.