Sontje Hansen

Sontje Hansen
Misjonne Juniffer Naigelino "Sontje" Hansen (born 18 May 2002) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for club NEC.
Early life and career
Hansen, born in Hoorn, North Holland, began his football career at the age of five with local amateur club HSV Sport 1889, where his older brother Ricky also played. Their mother, Sonaida, raised them as a single parent and faced challenges, including a lengthy sick leave, which made it difficult to cover club fees and football gear expenses. In their time of need, the Leergeld West-Friesland Foundation stepped in, providing assistance to families with limited financial means. Thanks to this support, Hansen was able to pursue his development at the club. In 2011, he moved to Zwaluwen '30, and two years later, he earned admission to the Ajax Youth Academy.
Club career
Ajax
Hansen signed his first senior contract with Ajax in May 2018, keeping him at the club until 2021.
On 13 December 2019, he made his professional football debut for Jong Ajax, starting in an Eerste Divisie match against Cambuur and immediately scoring his first goal as Ajax secured a 2–0 away victory. Five days later, he made his first-team debut for Ajax on 18 December 2019 in a KNVB Cup match against Telstar. Four days later again, on 22 December, he played his first Eredivisie match against ADO Den Haag, coming on as a substitute in the 79th minute.
In the 2020–21 season, he played for Jong Ajax again, participating in 28 out of 33 matches and contributing with three goals and five assists. During the first half of the 2021–22 season, a knee injury sidelined him for nearly two months, and after recovery, he struggled to regain form, managing only three goals and two assists in 23 matches.
On 22 August 2022, he had a standout performance, scoring twice and providing one assist against De Graafschap in a 5–1 victory. However, for the remainder of the season, he only scored two more goals. In a total of 84 matches with Jong Ajax between 2019 and 2023, he ended up scoring thirteen goals and providing thirteen assists.
NEC
On 8 May 2023, it was officially announced that Hansen would join fellow Eredivisie side NEC at the start of the 2023–24 season, signing a five-year contract with the club. He made his competitive debut for the club on the first matchday of the season, also scoring his first goal for NEC in a 4–3 home loss to Excelsior on 13 August.
International career
Hansen has been a part of the Netherlands national youth football teams since February 2017. In May 2019, he won the UEFA European Under-17 Championship with the Netherlands U17 team and became the top goalscorer of the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup, with six goals.
During his time with the Netherlands under-17 team, he scored 13 goals in 24 matches, with only Daishawn Redan (20) and Brian Brobbey (16) scoring more for the team. Additionally, he featured in the under-15, under-16, and under-18 national teams.
On 8 September 2023, he made his debut for the Netherlands under-21 team with an assist to NEC Nijmegen teammate Dirk Proper in a 3–0 victory over Moldova U21.
Career statistics
Honours
Netherlands U17
UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2019
Individual
FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Boot: 2019
UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2019
References
External links
Profile at Voetbal International
2002 births
Living people
Footballers from Hoorn
Dutch men's footballers
Netherlands men's youth international footballers
Netherlands men's under-21 international footballers
Men's association football forwards
Jong Ajax players
AFC Ajax players
NEC Nijmegen players
Eerste Divisie players
Eredivisie players
Dutch people of Curaçao descent