Stef Nijland

Stef Nijland

Nijland (left) and then-teammate Ola Toivonen at PSV in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Stefan Nijland
Date of birth	(1988-08-10) 10 August 1988 (age 28)
Place of birth	Hoogezand, Netherlands
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Centre Forward
Club information
Current team	PEC Zwolle
Number	10
Youth career
1997–2007	Groningen
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2007–2008	Groningen	23	(4)
2008–2013	PSV	18	(1)
2009–2010	→ Willem II (loan)	16	(4)
2011–2012	→ NEC (loan)	15	(1)
2013	→ Brisbane Roar (loan)	10	(0)
2013–	PEC Zwolle	79	(19)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2 July 2016. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15:43, 13 May 2009 (UTC)

Stefan Nijland (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈsteː.fɑn ˈnɛi̯.ˌlɑnt]) (born 10 August 1988) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a forward for PEC Zwolle.

Born in Hoogezand, Nijland began his professional career during the 2007–08 season with Groningen and signed a contract with the club until 2009.

Nijland made his Groningen debut, where he set up one of the goals, in a 3–0 win against NAC Breda in the opening game of the season on 18 August 2007. He also made his European debut, where he played the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against Fiorentina on 20 September 2007. He continued to make a handful of first team appearances and then scored his first goals for the club, in a 8–1 win over IJsselmeervogels in the second round of KNVB Cup on 26 September 2007. However, he suffered an injury, which he sustained in training and was sidelined for months. After two months on the sidelined, he made his first team return on 9 December 2007, coming on as a substitute in the second half, in a 4–2 loss against Heerenveen. Two weeks later on 22 December 2007, he scored his first Groningen league goal and set up one of the goals, in a 2–1 win over Heracles Almelo. Seven days later on 29 December 2007, Nijland scored a brace, in a 3–1 win over Sparta Rotterdam, followed up by setting up two goals, in a 3–2 win over Excelsior in the next game. For his performance, Nijland signed a contract extension with the club, keeping him until 2012 and revealed that he turned down a move to join Ajax in the January transfer window, where he could have joined alongside Bruno Silva and Rasmus Lindgren. Nijland then scored again on 24 February 2008, in a 3–1 win over VVV-Venlo. Despite suffering from ankle injury, Nijland finished his first season at Groningen, making twenty–three appearance and scoring six times in all competition.