# Sherida Spitse

Sherida Spitse (Dutch pronunciation:; born 29 May 1990) is a Dutch footballer who plays as a midfielder for Ajax and the Netherlands national team.

## Club career

Spitse started her career at VV Sneek before joining SC Heerenveen when the Eredivisie Vrouwen, the Dutch women's professional league, was established in 2007. In five seasons at Heerenveen, she played in 100 matches and scored 13 goals. In 2012, as the Dutch and Belgian leagues merged to form the BeNe League, Spitse moved to FC Twente in May 2012. At Twente, she won the BeNe League titles in 2012–13 and 2013–14. She was also the club top scorer in 2012–13 with 16 goals.
In December 2013, it was announced that Spitse would transfer to Norwegian Toppserien club LSK Kvinner FK from January 2014. This was the first paid transfer for a Dutch women's football player. With LSK Kvinner, Spitse became a Norwegian League and Cup champion at the end of the 2014 season. She was also voted on to Norway's Team of the Year at the annual NISO awards ceremony in Oslo. She remained in the club for the next two seasons, through 2016, winning the League and Cup in both seasons.
On 19 December 2016, during the 2015–16 Eredivisie winter break, she moved back to the Netherlands, agreeing to a contract with FC Twente for the second half of the season. On 16 June 2017, she extended her contract with FC Twente for one season.
During the 2017–18 Eredivisie winter break, on 27 December 2017, she signed a two-year contract with Vålerenga Fotball, returning to the Norwegian Toppserien.
On 20 November 2020, it was announced that Spitse had returned to the Eredivisie, joining Ajax in January 2021. Spitse was voted Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024 by Ajax supporters and technical staff.

## International career

Spitse made her debut for the Netherlands national team under coach Vera Pauw on 31 August 2006, in a 4–0 World Cup qualifying defeat to England. At the time, she was 16 years old and still playing with the VV Sneek boys team.
At the UEFA Women's Euro 2009, she was a member of the Dutch squad that reached the semifinals.
In June 2013, national team coach Roger Reijners selected Spitse for the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 in Sweden.
On 7 February 2015, she earned her 100th cap for the Dutch in a match against Thailand. Spitse helped the Netherlands qualify for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and was selected for the final squad. She played all four of Netherlands' matches in the tournament.
In January 2017, she played her 125th match for the national team against Romania. Spitse was part of the Dutch winning team of the UEFA Women's Euro 2017, playing in all matches and being selected for the Team of the Tournament. After the tournament, the team was honoured by the Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Minister of Sport Edith Schippers and made Knights of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
In the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, she reached the final with the Netherlands, losing 2–0 to the United States. In 2019, she became the all-time leader in caps for the Netherlands, passing Annemieke Kiesel.
Spitse suffered a knee injury in July 2021, forcing her to miss the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. In June 2022, Spitse earned her 200th cap with the Netherlands.
On 31 May 2023, she was named to the Netherlands provisional squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Spitse was the captain of the Dutch team and appeared in all five of her team's matches.

## Career statistics

    Scores and results list the Netherlands' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Spitse goal.
List of international goals scored by Sherida Spitse :
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1 | 22 November 2006 | Yanmar Stadion, Almere, Netherlands | Russia | 4–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 29 October 2009 | Oosterenkstadion, Zwolle, Netherlands | Macedonia | 8–0 | 13–1 | 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 19 December 2010 | Pacaembu Stadium, São Paulo, Brazil | Mexico | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2010 Torneio Internacional |
| 4 | 2 March 2011 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus | New Zealand | 1–0 | 4–1 | 2011 Cyprus Women's Cup |
| 5 | 3 April 2011 | Kras Stadion, Volendam, Netherlands | Scotland | 4–1 | 6–2 | Friendly |
| 6 | 3 April 2011 | Kras Stadion, Volendam, Netherlands | Scotland | 6–2 | 6–2 | Friendly |
| 7 | 24 November 2011 | Kyocera Stadion, The Hague, Netherlands | Croatia | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2013 UEFA Women's Euro qualifying |
| 8 | 15 February 2012 | Stade des Costières, Nîmes, France | France | 1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 9 | 1 March 2012 | GSP Stadium, Nicosia, Cyprus | Scotland | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2012 Cyprus Women's Cup |
| 10 | 24 October 2012 | Jan Louwers Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands | France | 1–0 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 11 | 25 November 2012 | Telstar Stadion, Velsen-Zuid, Netherlands | Wales | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 12 | 29 June 2013 | Telstar Stadion, Velsen-Zuid, Netherlands | Australia | 3–1 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 13 | 5 April 2014 | Pankritio Stadium, Heraklion, Greece | Greece | 5–0 | 6–0 | 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 14 | 7 February 2015 | Polman Stadion, Almelo, Netherlands | Thailand | 1–0 | 7–0 | Friendly |
| 15 | 4 April 2015 | Korinn Stadium, Kópavogur, Iceland | Iceland | 1–0 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 16 | 17 September 2015 | De Vijverberg, Doetinchem, Netherlands | Belarus | 5–0 | 8–0 | Friendly |
| 17 | 17 September 2015 | De Vijverberg, Doetinchem, Netherlands | Belarus | 7–0 | 8–0 | Friendly |
| 18 | 4 June 2016 | Mandemakers Stadion, Waalwijk, Netherlands | South Africa | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 19 | 25 October 2016 | Scholz Arena, Aalen, Germany | Germany | 1–2 | 2–4 | Friendly |
| 20 | 3 March 2017 | VRS António Sports Complex, Vila Real de Santo António, Portugal | Australia | 2–3 | 2–3 | 2017 Algarve Cup |
| 21 | 20 July 2017 | Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel, Rotterdam, Netherlands | Denmark | 1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2017 |
| 22 | 24 July 2017 | Koning Willem II Stadion, Tilburg, Netherlands | Belgium | 1–0 | 2–1 | UEFA Women's Euro 2017 |
| 23 | 6 August 2017 | De Grolsch Veste, Enschede, Netherlands | Denmark | 3–2 | 4–2 | UEFA Women's Euro 2017 |
| 24 | 24 November 2017 | NTC Senec, Senec, Slovakia | Slovakia | 2–0 | 5–0 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 25 | 6 April 2018 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands | Northern Ireland | 4–0 | 7–0 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 26 | 6 April 2018 | Philips Stadion, Eindhoven, Netherlands | Northern Ireland | 6–0 | 7–0 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 27 | 10 April 2018 | Tallaght Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland | Republic of Ireland | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 28 | 8 June 2018 | Shamrock Park, Portadown, Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland | 4–0 | 5–0 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 29 | 9 November 2018 | Stadion Galgenwaard, Utrecht, Netherlands | Switzerland | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 30 | 19 January 2019 | Green Point Stadium, Cape Town, South-Africa | South Africa | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 31 | 30 August 2019 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia | Estonia | 3–0 | 7–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying |
| 32 | 30 August 2019 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia | Estonia | 4–0 | 7–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying |
| 33 | 3 September 2019 | Abe Lenstra Stadion, Heerenveen, Netherlands | Turkey | 3–0 | 3–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying |
| 34 | 4 October 2019 | Fazanerija City Stadium, Murska Sobota, Slovenia | Slovenia | 3–2 | 4–2 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying |
| 35 | 4 October 2019 | Fazanerija City Stadium, Murska Sobota, Slovenia | Slovenia | 4–2 | 4–2 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying |
| 36 | 8 November 2019 | Bornova Stadium, İzmir, Turkey | Turkey | 2–0 | 8–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying |
| 37 | 8 November 2019 | Bornova Stadium, İzmir, Turkey | Turkey | 8–0 | 8–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying |
| 38 | 12 November 2019 | GelreDome, Arnhem, Netherlands | Slovenia | 1–1 | 4–1 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying |
| 39 | 12 November 2019 | GelreDome, Arnhem, Netherlands | Slovenia | 2–1 | 4–1 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying |
| 40 | 10 March 2020 | Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes, France | France | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2020 Tournoi de France |
| 41 | 23 October 2020 | Euroborg, Groningen, Netherlands | Estonia | 4–0 | 7–0 | UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying |
| 42 | 15 June 2021 | De Grolsch Veste, Enschede, Netherlands | Norway | 2–0 | 7–0 | Friendly |
| 43 | 8 April 2022 | Euroborg, Groningen, Netherlands | Cyprus | 9–0 | 12–0 | 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification |
| 44 | 2 July 2023 | Parkstad Limburg Stadion, Kerkrade, Netherlands | Belgium | 2–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 45 | 25 October 2024 | De Vijverberg, Doetinchem, Netherlands | Indonesia | 3–0 | 15–0 | Friendly |

## Personal life

Spitse married Jolien van der Tuin in 2018. The two met in Emmen when van der Tuin played for SC Angelslo [nl]. van der Tuin gave birth to the couple's two children, Jens, born in 2017, and Mila, born in 2020.

## Honours

FC Twente
* BeNe League: 2012–13, 2013–14
* Eredivisie: 2012–13*, 2013–14*
*During the BeNe League period (2012 to 2015), the highest placed Dutch team is considered as national champion by the Royal Dutch Football Association.
Ajax
* KNVB Women's Cup: 2021–22
* Eredivisie: 2022–23
LSK Kvinner
* Toppserien: 2014, 2015, 2016
* Norwegian Women's Cup: 2014, 2015, 2016
Vålerenga
* Toppserien: 2020
* Norwegian Women's Cup: 2020
Netherlands
* UEFA European Women's Championship: 2017
* Algarve Cup: 2018
Individual
* Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau: 2017