Thijmen Blokzijl

Thijmen Blokzijl made his competitive debut for Groningen on 8 January 2023 against Excelsior, becoming the youngest player in the club's history to start a league match, at the age of 17. Born in Groningen, he came through the youth ranks at local amateur clubs Velocitas 1897 and Be Quick 1887 before joining the FC Groningen academy, where he progressed to sign his first professional contract in 2021.

His breakthrough season came with a setback: in April 2023 he suffered an ankle ligament tear in a match against Fortuna Sittard, which kept him out for several weeks. He returned to establish himself in the side, and in March 2026 he became the youngest player in Groningen's history to reach 100 official appearances for the club.

Blokzijl scored his first official goal for Groningen on 14 May 2025, netting a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2-2 draw against Ajax. That same season, in January 2025, he was named to the Eredivisie Team of the Month. A red card he received against NEC in February 2025 was later expunged by the KNVB.

At international level, Blokzijl has represented the Netherlands across several youth categories, from the under-15s through to the under-19s. He was part of the Dutch under-17 squad that reached the final of the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, finishing as runners-up to France.