Birger Verstraete

Birger Verstraete (born 16 April 1994) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Belgian Pro League club OH Leuven. Verstraete has played once for the Belgium national team.

Club career From Ostend, Verstraete came through the youth ranks at Club Brugge as a central midfielder, but only played six league games for the Blauw-Zwart before moving to Kortrijk in 2015.

Two seasons followed at the Guldensporen before a big step-up to join Gent in 2017, who had won the Belgian title two years earlier.

A poor start to the season saw the dismissal of coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck, but the Buffaloes rallied to finish fourth under Yves Vanderhaeghe.

A further fifth-placed finish and decent run to the 2018–19 Belgian Cup Final - where they were beaten 2–1 by Mechelen despite having taken the lead - alerted clubs from across the border in Germany, particularly 1. FC Köln.

Verstraete only played nine games in the Bundesliga before returning to the Belgian Pro League with Royal Antwerp in 2020, at first on loan. As part of a dynamic Great Old side under first Ivan Leko and then Frank Vercauteren, Verstraete helped Antwerp to a third-place finish in the 2020–21 season, the club's highest placing since their previous league title in 1957. However, he was not allowed play in the COVID-delayed 2020 Belgian Cup Final win over his former side Club Brugge, as he had not been signed by the time of the original date of the decider in April 2020.

The following season under Danish coach Brian Priske, Royal Antwerp finished fourth, after losing home and away to Anderlecht in the 2021–22 league championship play-offs.

On 6 September 2022, Verstraete joined Mechelen on loan, helping them win their fight against relegation, and aiding their run to the 2023 Belgian Cup Final against Royal Antwerp.

On 11 September 2023, he signed a two-year contract with Aris.

International career Verstraete made his Belgium national team debut on 7 September 2018 in a friendly against Scotland.

Career statistics