Lance Duijvestijn


Lance Duijvestijn is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Fortuna Sittard on loan from Sparta Rotterdam.

Career

Early years

Born in Wateringen, Duijvestijn began his youth career at SV VELO before moving to the ADO Den Haag academy. After failing to break into the first team, he moved to NEC, where he made his Eerste Divisie debut for on 17 August 2018 in a match against Cambuur, as a 77th-minute substitute for Sven Braken.
In 2019, he returned to his former club ADO Den Haag where he played for the reserve team, Jong ADO, in the fourth-tier Derde Divisie. There, he established himself as a prolific scorer for midfield, among others scoring four goals in a 4–2 win over Gemert. After Alan Pardew took over as new head coach of the ADO first team, Duijvestijn saw his chances of breaking into the first team diminish. After a trial with Quick Boys in May 2020, he eventually moved to Helmond Sport on 30 July 2020 on a one-year deal with the option of one more year.

Almere City

On 29 June 2021, Duijvestijn signed a three-year contract with Almere City. He made his debut on 9 August in a 2–1 loss to Jong AZ, playing the entire game. Less than two weeks later, in his third game for the club, Duijvestijn scored his first goal in the third minute, but saw his team lose 2–1 to VVV-Venlo.
Duijvestijn played a key role in Almere City's promotion to the Eredivisie during the 2022–23 season, marking the club's first-ever appearance in the top tier of Dutch football. He scored eight goals in 32 league appearances and netted three goals in six play-off matches. Notably, Duijvestijn scored a crucial brace in the first leg of the play-off final against Emmen, significantly contributing to the club's historic promotion to the Eredivisie.

Excelsior

On 1 February 2024, Duijvestijn joined Excelsior from Almere City, signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Eredivisie club. He made his debut on 10 February, coming on at half-time for Redouan El Yaakoubi in a 3–0 home defeat to Twente. Duijvestijn went on to score four goals in fourteen Eredivisie appearances in the remainder of the 2023–24 campaign, and also found the net in the promotion/relegation play-offs, including the first leg of the final against NAC Breda in which he scored before being sent off in a 6–2 defeat. Excelsior were ultimately relegated after losing the two-legged final 7–6 on aggregate, despite winning the return 4–1.
Duijvestijn stayed with Excelsior following relegation and was made captain for the 2024–25 season in the Eerste Divisie. He missed several months after ankle surgery but returned to play a central role in the club's push for immediate promotion. He finished the league season with eleven goals and nine assists in 23 appearances, as Excelsior secured promotion back to the Eredivisie after one year. In May 2025, he was named Eerste Divisie Player of the Season and received the competition's Gouden Schild award from Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman.

Sparta Rotterdam

On 23 June 2025, Duijvestijn signed a four-year contract with Eredivisie club Sparta Rotterdam.
On 16 January 2026, Duijvestijn joined Fortuna Sittard on a six-month loan deal.

Honours

Individual