Sepp van den Berg

Sepp van den Berg (born 20 December 2001) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays either as a centre-back or right-back for club Brentford.

Club career PEC Zwolle

After successfully progressing through the PEC Zwolle youth ranks since 2012, Van den Berg made his first team debut on 11 March 2018, coming on as a 45th minute substitute in a 2–0 Eredivisie defeat at home to Groningen.

Liverpool On 27 June 2019, Van den Berg joined Premier League club Liverpool for a confirmed fee of £1.3 million, which could potentially rise up to £4.4 million if all agreed clauses are activated. He made his competitive debut for the club on 25 September 2019, in an EFL Cup match against Milton Keynes Dons. Van den Berg made his first start in Liverpool's 5–5 draw with Arsenal in the EFL Cup fourth round on 30 October. Liverpool went on to win 5–4 in the penalty shoot-out.

Loan to Preston North End On 1 February 2021, Van den Berg joined EFL Championship side Preston North End on loan for the remainder of the 2020–21 season. Five days later, he made his debut for Preston as a substitute for Paul Huntington in a 1–2 home league defeat by Rotherham United.

On 21 June 2021, Van den Berg extended his loan to Preston by an additional 12 months, to an 18-month loan deal, to remain at the club for the 2021–22 season. He scored his first professional goal in a 4–2 win at Morecambe in the EFL Cup in August 2021.

Loan to Schalke 04 On 30 August 2022, Van den Berg joined Bundesliga side Schalke 04 on a season-long loan. He played only nine times for Die Königsblauen due to sustaining a serious ankle injury, and was unable to stop the side being relegated to the 2. Bundesliga.

Loan to Mainz 05 On 13 July 2023, Van den Berg joined fellow Bundesliga side Mainz 05 on loan for the duration of the 2023–24 season. On 12 August 2023, he made his debut for the club in a DFB-Pokal match against SV Elversberg, coming as a substitute. On 19 December, he scored his first goal for Mainz, an equaliser in a 1–1 Bundesliga draw against Borussia Dortmund. On 17 February 2024, he scored the only goal in a 1–0 win over FC Augsburg.

Brentford On 22 August 2024, Van den Berg joined fellow Premier League side Brentford for a reported fee of £20 million, with an additional £5 million in bonuses. He signed a five-year contract with the club.

International career Van den Berg is a youth international for the Netherlands. After accruing 10 caps and 3 goals for Netherlands U19's, Van den Berg made his debut for Netherlands U21's in a 5–0 win against Wales on 12 October 2021.

Personal life His younger brother Rav is also a footballer, and plays for Cologne in the 1. Bundesliga.

Career statistics

Honours Liverpool FIFA Club World Cup: 2019