Bert Esselink
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Bert Johan Esselink | ||
| Date of birth | 16 August 1999 | ||
| Place of birth | 's-Heerenberg, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Dundee United | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2020 | De Graafschap | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2022 | PAEEK | 46 | (5) |
| 2022–2023 | APOEL | 11 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | → Olympiakos Nicosia (loan) | 29 | (4) |
| 2023–2025 | Stal Mielec | 54 | (2) |
| 2025– | Dundee United | 0 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 14:04, 27 May 2025 (UTC) | |||
Bert Johan Esselink (born 16 August 1999) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Scottish Premiership club Dundee United.
Club career
Early career
Born in 's-Heerenberg, Esselink started his career in the youth academy of Dutch club De Graafschap, before joining his first senior club PAEEK in 2020.[1]
PAEEK
On 15 July 2020, it was officially announced that Esselink signed for PAEEK until June 2021.[2]
He made his professional debut on 12 September 2020 in a Cypriot Second Division game against Achyronas Liopetriou.
On 27 June 2021, PAEEK announced the renewal of Esselink's contract until 31 May 2022.[3]
APOEL
On 9 January 2022, it was officially announced that Esselink signed for APOEL until 2024 after his release clause was exercised.[4]
Loan to Olympiakos Nicosia
On 26 August 2022, he was loaned for a year to Olympiakos Nicosia.
Stal Mielec
On 3 July 2023, Esselink signed a one-year contract with Polish Ekstraklasa side Stal Mielec.[5] On 9 April 2024, his deal was extended for another season after meeting the requirements listed in his contract.[6]
Dundee United
Esselink signed a two-year contract with Scottish Premiership club Dundee United in June 2025.[7]
Career statistics
- As of match played 24 May 2025
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| PAEEK | 2020–21 | Cypriot Second Division | 32 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 3 | ||
| 2021–22 | Cypriot First Division | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 2 | |||
| Total | 46 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 47 | 5 | ||||
| APOEL | 2021–22 | Cypriot First Division | 11 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 14 | 1 | ||
| Olympiakos Nicosia (loan) | 2022–23 | Cypriot First Division | 29 | 4 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 4 | ||
| Stal Mielec | 2023–24 | Ekstraklasa | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2024–25 | Ekstraklasa | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 0 | |||
| Total | 54 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 56 | 2 | ||||
| Career total | 140 | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 150 | 12 | ||
- ^ Includes Cypriot Cup, Polish Cup
Honours
PAEEK
- Cypriot Second Division: 2020–21
References
- ^ "'Ik werd weggestuurd bij Jong De Graafschap en speel nu bij zo'n grote club'". voetbalzone.nl.
- ^ "Υπέγραψε ο Bert Esselink (Video) | News".
- ^ "Ανανέωση συμβολάιου με Bert Esselink".
- ^ "Συμφωνία μετεγγραφής με ΠΑΕΕΚ για Bert Esselink".
- ^ "Bert Esselink a member of PGE FKS Stala Mielec" (in Polish). Stal Mielec. 3 July 2023.
- ^ "Kontrakt Berta Esselinka przedłużony na kolejny sezon" (in Polish). asd. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
- ^ "United sign 'transformative' Dutch defender Esselink". BBC Sport. 27 June 2025. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
External links