Lewis Montsma
Dutch footballer (born 1998)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lewis Lee Montsma (born 25 April 1998) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for EFL League Two club Port Vale.
|
Lewis Montsma in Dundee colours (2026) | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lewis Lee Montsma[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 25 April 1998[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands[3] | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[3] | ||
| Position | Centre back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Port Vale | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2013 | AFC | ||
| 2013–2017 | Heerenveen | ||
| 2018 | Cambuur | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2020 | FC Dordrecht | 46 | (1) |
| 2020–2026 | Lincoln City | 83 | (8) |
| 2026 | Dundee | 0 | (0) |
| 2026– | Port Vale | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:58, 23 August 2026 (UTC) | |||
Montsma made his Eerste Divisie debut for FC Dordrecht in August 2018 and played 46 league games in two seasons. He signed with English club Lincoln City in July 2020, where he would make 108 league and cup appearances in five-and-a-half seasons, his contributions limited by two ACL injuries. He joined Scottish club Dundee on a short-term deal in February 2026 and returned to England with Port Vale five months later.
Early and personal life
Career
Early career
Montsma began his career at AFC. He damaged his right knee whilst in the academy at Heerenveen.[7] He then joined the under-21s at Cambuur.[8] He made his Eerste Divisie debut for FC Dordrecht on 31 August 2018 in a game against NEC, as a starter.[9] He played 46 games in two seasons at the Stadion Krommedijk, scoring one goal.[10]
Lincoln City
On 14 July 2020, Montsma joined English League One club Lincoln City on a three-year contract, on a free transfer.[11][12] He scored on his debut for the Imps in 2–1 win at Crewe Alexandra in the EFL Cup on 5 September.[13] He continued his goalscoring run, scoring in the second and third round of the EFL Cup against Bradford City and Premier League champions Liverpool.[14][15] He also scored his first league goal in a 2–0 victory over Charlton Athletic at Sincil Bank on 27 September.[16] Lincoln reached the play-off final at Wembley and Montsma came on as a late substitute during what ended as a 2–1 defeat to Blackpool.[17] He was named on the PFA Team of the Year in League One for the 2020–21 season.[18]
On 8 January 2022, Montsma sustained an Anterior cruciate ligament injury on his left knee against Oxford United and was ruled out of action for nine months.[19] Following his surgery on his ACL, he signed a new two-year contract.[20] After just over a year from his injury, Montsma returned to competitive football on 28 January 2023 against Cambridge United.[21] He picked up a similar knee injury a few months later against Fleetwood Town, which would see him miss the remainder of the 2022–23 season.[22] It was later confirmed that he had ruptured his ACL again as well as other knee damage, and he would undergo a further 12 months of rehabilitation.[23][24]
Despite not playing during the 2023–24 season, the club offered him a new contract,[25] with a short-term contract of six months signed in July.[26] He made his return from injury after 15 months out in a 2–1 defeat to Harrogate Town in the EFL Cup on 13 August 2024.[27] He started his first league game in 581 days on 26 October, saying it was "a long graft" to recover from his injury.[28] In December, he signed a multi-year contract extension to run until 2027.[29][30] He did not feature in League One under Michael Skubala in the first half of the 2025–26 campaign.[31] He was linked with a move to Shrewsbury Town, managed by former Lincoln boss Michael Appleton.[32] Sporting director Jez George published an open letter upon Montsma's departure, in which he called him a "special player" and "special person".[33]
Dundee
On 2 February 2026, Montsma signed for Scottish Premiership club Dundee on a short-term permanent deal with an option to extend.[34] With Luke Graham and Ryan Astley as an established centre-back partnership at Dens Park,[7] he left the club at the end of the 2025–26 season, having not played once for Steven Pressley's Dark Blues.[35]
Port Vale
He had a trial with Port Vale in July 2026,[36] and signed a one-year deal with the club on 31 July.[37]
Style of play
Montsma is a two-footed ball-playing centre back who is able to score from direct free kicks.[7][6]
Career statistics
- As of match played 22 August 2026
| Club | Season | League | National Cup[a] | League Cup[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| FC Dordrecht | 2018–19[2] | Eerste Divisie | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | |
| 2019–20[2] | Eerste Divisie | 23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| Total | 46 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 1 | ||
| Lincoln City | 2020–21[38] | League One | 40 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 6[c] | 0 | 49 | 9 |
| 2021–22[39] | League One | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[d] | 1 | 26 | 2 | |
| 2022–23[40] | League One | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2023–24[41] | League One | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2024–25[42] | League One | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | 21 | 1 | |
| 2025–26[43] | League One | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 83 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 108 | 12 | ||
| Dundee | 2025–26[43] | Scottish Premiership | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Port Vale | 2026–27[44] | League Two | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Career total | 131 | 9 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 1 | 159 | 13 | ||
- Includes KNVB Cup, FA Cup, Scottish Cup
- Includes EFL Cup, Scottish League Cup
- Appearance(s) in League One Play-offs & EFL Trophy
- Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy
Honours
Individual