Joey Sleegers

Early career and NEC

Sleegers joined the RKC Waalwijk academy as a boy and moved to Feyenoord at the age of 12. He never played a competitive match for the Rotterdam club; loaned to FC Eindhoven for the 2014–15 season, he made his professional debut on 13 September 2014 against Achilles '29 and scored 13 goals in 33 league appearances. That form earned him a three-year contract at newly promoted NEC on 25 August 2015. He made his Eredivisie debut three days later, starting a 1–0 win away to Willem II before being withdrawn at half-time, and scored his first goal for the club in a draw with SC Heerenveen in February 2016. He spent 2016–17 on loan at VVV-Venlo, scoring eight goals in 35 matches as the club won the Eerste Divisie title, but could not establish himself on his return to Nijmegen.

Trenčín and FC Eindhoven

On 5 January 2018, Sleegers left the NEC bench for Slovak club Trenčín. He played 18 months there and set up a goal in a 3–0 win over his former club Feyenoord in the third qualifying round of the Europa League. Sleegers returned to Eindhoven in July 2019, saying that he had wanted to play in the Netherlands again. The second of his three spells at the club was the most productive of his career: in 2021–22 he scored 21 league goals as Eindhoven finished third in the Eerste Divisie.

Later career

In July 2022, Sleegers left for Dibba Al Fujairah of the UAE Pro League, but returned to the Netherlands after half a season, signing for ADO…

As of match played 19 December 2022

VVV-Venlo

Eerste Divisie: 2016–17 Individual

Bronzen Stier – Best Player Eerste Divisie: 2014–15 Gouden Stier – Best Talent Eerste Divisie: 2014–15