Ian Maatsen

Ian Ethan Maatsen (born 10 March 2002) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for club Aston Villa and the Netherlands national team. Primarily a left-back, he can also play as a winger.

Early career
Maatsen joined Feyenoord's academy at the age of seven, but was allegedly dropped for being too small. He moved to Sparta Rotterdam and then PSV Eindhoven, before joining Chelsea in 2018.

Chelsea
On 25 September 2019, he made his debut for the London club as a substitute in a 7–1 EFL Cup victory over Grimsby Town.

Loan to Charlton Athletic
On 13 October 2020, Maatsen joined Charlton Athletic on a season-long loan. On 20 October, he made his league debut for Charlton, coming off the bench as a second-half substitute in the side's 1–0 win over Blackpool. He scored his first senior goal on 2 April 2021 in a 1–0 away win over Doncaster Rovers.

Loan to Coventry
On 30 July 2021, Maatsen joined Coventry City on loan. On 2 October 2021, he scored his first goal for Coventry in a match against Fulham, helping his team to a 4–1 victory. Overall, Maatsen made 40 league appearances for the Sky Blues and scored three goals during the 2021–22 season.

Loan to Burnley
On 15 July 2022, Maatsen joined Burnley on a season-long loan. He made his debut in the first round of the 2022–23 EFL Championship against Huddersfield Town, where he also scored the only goal of the game in a 1–0 win. Following his impressive performances, Maatsen was named the EFL Championship Player of the Month for January 2023. His team eventually won the league and promotion to the Premier League, with Maatsen being included in the Championship Team of the Season as the best left-back.

Loan to Borussia Dortmund
On 12 January 2024, Maatsen signed a contract extension with Chelsea until 2026 and joined Borussia Dortmund on a six-month loan. On 16 April, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 4–2 win against Atlético Madrid in the quarter-finals second leg, helping his team progress to the semi-finals. Borussia eventually reached the final, where Maatsen started the match and made a misplaced pass that led to Real Madrid's second goal in a 2–0 defeat at Wembley Stadium. However, he was named in the competition's Team of the Season as the best left-back.

Aston Villa
On 28 June 2024, Maatsen signed for fellow Premier League club Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee, reported to be £37.5 million, signing a six-year contract.

International career
Maatsen is a youth international for the Netherlands, having represented the country at all levels from under-15 to under-21.

In September 2023, he received his first call-up to the Netherlands senior team by head coach Ronald Koeman, for two UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches against Greece and the Republic of Ireland.

In May 2024, Maatsen was selected in the 30-man preliminary squad for UEFA Euro 2024, but was later omitted from the final squad. However, he was re-called to the Netherlands' Euro 2024 squad on 11 June as a replacement for the injured Frenkie de Jong.

Personal life
Born in Vlaardingen, South Holland, Maatsen is of Surinamese descent and also has Indonesian ancestry from Java.

Honours
Burnley
 * EFL Championship: 2022–23

Borussia Dortmund
 * UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2023–24

Netherlands U17
 * UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2019

Individual
 * EFL Championship Player of the Month: January 2023
 * EFL Championship Team of the Season: 2022–23
 * PFA Team of the Year: 2022–23 Championship
 * Bundesliga Rookie of the Month: January 2024
 * UEFA Champions League Team of the Season: 2023–24