Björn Hardley
Dutch footballer (born 2002)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Björn Bryan Hardley (born 19 December 2002) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defender for Eerste Divisie club Dordrecht.[3]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Björn Bryan Hardley[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 19 December 2002 | ||
| Place of birth | Tilburg, Netherlands[2] | ||
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[2] | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Dordrecht | ||
| Number | 4 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2013 | SV Advendo | ||
| 2013–2014 | RKVV DIA | ||
| 2014–2019 | NAC Breda | ||
| 2019–2023 | Manchester United | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021–2023 | Manchester United | 0 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Jong Utrecht | 19 | (0) |
| 2024–2026 | TSV Hartberg | 2 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | TSV Hartberg II | 11 | (1) |
| 2026– | Dordrecht | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 30 January 2026 | |||
Club career
Early career
Born in Tilburg, Hardley started his career with local sides SV Advendo and RKVV DIA, before joining NAC Breda in 2014.[4][5] While at NAC, Hardley's performances caught the eye of Manchester United scout Rene Moonen, who invited four other United scouts to watch Hardley in action.[6]
Manchester United
After impressing scouts, Hardley signed a three-year contract with English Premier League club Manchester United in 2019.[4] He progressed through the ranks at United, establishing himself in the under-18 squad before moving to the under-23 side. He made three appearances in the 2021–22 EFL Trophy, scoring once in a 3–2 defeat to Lincoln City.[7]
Having trained with the first team since November 2021, Hardley was added to Manchester United's Champions League squad in early December.[6]
Utrecht
On 20 July 2023, Hardley's departure from Manchester United was confirmed by the club as he had joined with Dutch club Utrecht.[8] He was the second player from Manchester United to join the club in the summer transfer window, following Zidane Iqbal.[9] He was moved to the club's reserve team, Jong Utrecht, for the 2023–24 season. His debut came on 21 August 2023, coming on as a substitute in the 90th minute, in a 1–0 victory over FC Groningen.[10] His first start for the club came a month later on 22 September, in a 3–2 victory over Cambuur.[11]
TSV Hartberg
On 5 September 2024, Hardley signed for Austrian Bundesliga club TSV Hartberg on a two-year contract.[12]
Dordrecht
On 8 January 2026, Hardley joined Dordrecht on a one-and-a-half-year contract.[13]
International career
Hardley is eligible to represent the Netherlands and Suriname.[14]
Career statistics
Club
- As of match played 23 August 2024[15]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Manchester United U21 | 2020–21 | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 2021–22 | — | — | — | — | — | 3[a] | 1 | 3 | 1 | |||||
| 2022–23 | — | — | — | — | — | 5[a] | 0 | 5 | 0 | |||||
| Total | — | — | — | — | 8 | 1 | 8 | 1 | ||||||
| Jong Utrecht | 2023–24 | Eerste Divisie | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | ||||
| 2024–25 | Eerste Divisie | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 19 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 19 | 0 | ||||||
| Career total | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 27 | 1 | ||
- Appearance(s) in the EFL Trophy