Michael de Leeuw

Michael Jeroen Maarten Michiel de Leeuw (born 7 October 1986) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Career Born in Goirle, De Leeuw began his career at amateur clubs DWC and RKTVV before joining the youth department of Willem II. He never broke through to the first team, and therefore chose to play for BV Veendam in the Dutch second division.

Veendam De Leeuw was placed as a striker in his first year for Veendam, and he was an immediate success, scoring 25 goals in 36 league matches. At the end of the year, he won the topscorer award and the award for 'Talent of the Year', for the most talented player of the season. He was chased by several clubs in the Eredivisie and clubs abroad, but in the end chose to stay in Veendam.

Groningen On 22 May 2012, FC Groningen announced that they had signed De Leeuw. He helped the club win the KNVB Cup in 2014–15 against defending champions PEC Zwolle. It was their first major trophy and they qualified for the UEFA Europa League.

Chicago Fire On 17 May 2016, the Chicago Fire announced they have signed De Leeuw to a three-year deal through 2018 with a club option for 2019.

In his first season with Chicago, De Leeuw contributed seven goals and three assists across 17 games. In his second season with Chicago, de Leeuw's role switched to supporting striker behind Nemanja Nikolić, who led the league in scoring in 2017. In his new role, De Leeuw contributed a career high eight assists along with three goals. His season was cut short by a ruptured ACL injury suffered against New York City FC on 30 September 2017. De Leeuw was released by Chicago at the end of their 2018 season.

Emmen On 31 December 2018, De Leeuw signed a one-and-a-half-year deal with FC Emmen with an option for an additional year.

Return to Groningen On 26 March 2021, De Leeuw returned to Groningen when he signed a contract for the 2021–22 season. On 26 October, he scored his first goal back with the team in a 2–0 victory over AZ.

Return to Willem II On 10 August 2022, De Leeuw returned to his youth club Willem II on a two-year contract. He helped the Tricolores to the Eerste Divisie title in the 2023–24 season, which meant promotion back to the Eredivisie. In May 2025, he announced his retirement from professional football, concluding a 16-year playing career. His final appearance came in a 1–1 draw against Den Bosch in the promotion play-offs, which resulted in a 2–1 aggregate defeat. De Leeuw was brought on in the 113th minute.

Career statistics + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Individual Eredivisie Team of the Month: March 2022