Léon Bergsma
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 January 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Amsterdam, Netherlands | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Neuchâtel Xamax | ||
| Number | 21 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Blauw-Wit | |||
| –2005 | RKSV Pancratius | ||
| 2005–2015 | Ajax | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2018 | Jong Ajax | 61 | (1) |
| 2018–2020 | Jong AZ | 34 | (1) |
| 2018–2020 | AZ | 2 | (0) |
| 2020 | → Den Bosch (loan) | 4 | (1) |
| 2020–2022 | Aarau | 72 | (5) |
| 2022–2024 | Cambuur | 52 | (0) |
| 2024–2025 | AC Oulu | 20 | (0) |
| 2025– | Neuchâtel Xamax | 8 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2012 | Netherlands U15 | 3 | (1) |
| 2014 | Netherlands U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2016–2018 | Netherlands U20 | 8 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 6 October 2025 | |||
Léon Bergsma (born 25 January 1997) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Neuchâtel Xamax.[2]
Jong Ajax
Bergsma is a product of the youth system at Ajax, having joined the club at the age of eight after initially playing youth football for Blauw-Wit and RKSV Pancratius.[3] On 8 May 2015, he made his professional debut for Jong Ajax in an Eerste Divisie match against TOP Oss, replacing Leeroy Owusu in the 88th minute.[4] In April 2016, Bergsma signed his first contract with Ajax, which tied him to the club until 2018.[5] Ahead of the 2016–17 season, Bergsma officially moved up from the under-19 team to the squad of Jong Ajax. He scored his first professional goal on 14 April 2017, heading home Noa Lang's corner-kick as Jong Ajax beat Dordrecht 1–0.[6] With Bergsma as captain, Jong Ajax won the Eerste Divisie title in the 2017–18 season.[7]
AZ
On 21 June 2018, Bergsma moved to AZ on a free transfer, and signed a four-year deal.[8] He made his debut for the club on 12 August in a 5–0 victory against NAC Breda, replacing Ron Vlaar in the 81st minute.[9][10] He made only three appearances for AZ's first team, as he primarily featured for their reserves, Jong AZ in the Eerste Divisie.[2]
Loan to Den Bosch
Bergsma joined Eerste Divisie club Den Bosch on a six-month loan on 31 January 2020.[11] He made only four appearances for the club, as the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) decided to cancel the remainder of the season due to effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
FC Aarau
In August 2020, Bergsma signed with Swiss club FC Aarau.[13] The transfer came about in an unusual manner. During a chance meeting in Frankfurt, a stadium technician named Dany Bürge met the Dutch businessman Rob Been Jr., who had previously served as the director of Ajax. Several months later, Bürge visited Been in the Netherlands, where during a dinner conversation, he mentioned that FC Aarau was in need of a centre-back. Been, having an idea, immediately contacted Bergsma, who expressed interest. Bürge then facilitated a connection between Bergsma and FC Aarau's sports director, Sandro Burki. Following several trial training sessions, FC Aarau decided to sign Bergsma.[14][15]
Bergsma made his competitive debut for the club, starting in a Swiss Cup second-round match against FC Wil on 12 September 2020, where Aarau advanced after penalty shoot-out.[16] One week later, he made his debut in the Swiss Challenge League, also against FC Wil, as Aarau lost 3–1 at home.[17] He remained a starter through two seasons with Aarau, scoring six goals in 78 total appearances.[2]
Cambuur
On 28 July 2022, Bergsma returned to the Netherlands and signed a three-year contract with Eredivisie club Cambuur.[18] He made his debut for the club on 6 August, the first matchday of the season, replacing Floris Smand in the second half of a 2–0 home loss to Excelsior.[19][20] He soon established himself as a starter at centre-back, as Cambuur suffered relegation from the Eredivisie at the end of the season.[21]
AC Oulu
On 27 August 2024, Bergsma signed with Finnish Veikkausliiga club AC Oulu on a contract running until June 2025, with an option to extend until the end of 2026.[22] He made his debut on 1 September in a 2–1 league defeat to IFK Mariehamn.[23]
He scored his first goal for the club on 7 May 2025 in a 5–1 victory over local rivals JS Hercules in the Finnish Cup.[24]
Neuchâtel Xamax
On 23 July 2025, Bergsma returned to Switzerland after signing with Neuchâtel Xamax.[25]