Sam de Grand

Sam de Grand (born 5 October 2004) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a left-back for club AZ.

Early life De Grand was born on 5 October 2004 in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. When he was one month old, his family relocated to Leuven, Belgium, after his father took up a position at Canon, and he grew up there.

Club career Early years De Grand began his youth career at OH Leuven, the club local to where he grew up, before joining the academy of Anderlecht. In 2017, at the age of 12, he joined Genk, where he progressed through the youth ranks, represented the club in the UEFA Youth League, and made his professional debut for Jong Genk in the Challenger Pro League in 2022.

Lommel On 31 January 2023, De Grand joined Lommel in the Challenger Pro League. Having made only six league appearances in the second half of his debut season, he grew into a regular starter during the 2023–24 season, though a knee injury in April 2024 cut short his campaign. He extended his contract until June 2028 in May 2024, despite reported interest from clubs in the Eredivisie, and by the 2025–26 season had become near ever-present at left back, starting almost every match in Lommel's push for promotion.

International career De Grand made his first international appearance for the Netherlands under-18 in 2022, scoring in his only cap at that level. He made his under-21 debut on 14 October 2025, starting in a 2–0 home victory over Lithuania in UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification. Reflecting on the experience afterwards, he said: "It went pretty well, which is nice. There was little tension—I just wanted to show what I could do."