Wesley Sonck


Wesley Sonck is a Belgian professional football manager and former player who manages the football team|Belgium U19 national team]. He played as a striker for Molenbeek (1909)|Molenbeek], Ninove, Germinal Ekeren, Germinal Beerschot, Genk, Ajax, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Club Brugge. He was capped by Belgium at international level.
During his time with Genk, he was the top goalscorer in the Belgian First Division in the 2001–02 season with 30 goals, and joint top in the following campaign with 22 – sharing the award with Cédric Roussel.
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Club career

Ajax

Sonck moved to Ajax in the summer of 2003, to replace departed striker Mido. He made his debut on 12 August against Grazer AK. He scored his first goal for the club 13 September against RKC Waalwijk. Sonck never really made it in Amsterdam, partly because he was playing on the right wing a lot under coach Ronald Koeman. He moved to Borussia Mönchengladbach in the winter of 2004.

Borussia Mönchengladbach

Sonck's time with Borussia Mönchengladbach of the Bundesliga was hampered by injuries. Mönchengladbach signed him on a permanent contract, a deal initially arranged already at the start of his loan. In the summer of 2005, Sonck had three of his ribs broken after a horrific tackle by Wilfred Bouma in a goalless, meaningless friendly between Borussia Mönchengladbach and PSV Eindhoven. Sonck took six months to recover, marking his return to competitive football with a goal in a 3–1 defeat by Bayern Munich. He scored three more in 13 further Bundesliga games for Mönchengladbach until he was forced out for three months with an injury in the hollow of his knee at the start of the 2006–07 season.

Back to Belgium

Sonck left Gladbach at the end of the 2006–07 season, joining Club Brugge on a year-long loan deal while Borussia Mönchengladbach began playing in the second tier of the Bundesliga. Following the 2007–08 season, Sonck joined Brugge permanently for an undisclosed fee. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Sonck left Brugge to join Lierse S.K. on a free transfer having fallen out with manager Adrie Koster over contract negotiations and lack of first team action. Amongst his first goals for the club was an excellent overhead kick. Sonck was released in the summer of 2012 and spent a few months unemployed before joining newly promoted Waasland-Beveren near the end of October 2012. In January 2014 signed with 1ste Provincial Oost-Vlaanderen club KE Appelterre-Eichem, before retiring just three months later.

International career

Wesley Sonck was a member of the Belgian squad at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He scored one goal in the 2002 [FIFA World Cup Group H|Group stage match] against Russia.
Sonck was called for the Belgium national team during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. In the match versus Spain he scored Belgium's only goal in that match, thus ending Casillas and Reina's undefeated streak of 710 minutes.

Coaching career

On 3 August 2017, Sonck was hired as manager of the Belgian U18 national team. In March 2020, he was put in charge of the U-19 national team.

Television career

Sonck is a regular football analyst in Belgian TV sport shows and podcasts. In 2020, he made his debut as host of a television program in ''De Container Cup.''

Career statistics

International

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
16 June 2001Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino3–1align=center 2002 FIFA [World Cup qualification|2002 World Cup qualification]
227 March 2002Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece0-2align=center Friendly
314 June 2002Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Fukoroi, Japan2–1align=center 2002 World Cup
421 August 2002Florian Kryger Stadium, Szczecin, Poland1–1align=center Friendly
512 October 2002Estadi Comunal d'Aixovall, Aixovall, Andorra1–0align=center Euro 2004 qualification
616 October 2002A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia1–0align=center Euro 2004 qualification
712 February 2003Stade 19 Mai 1956, Annaba, Algeria2–0align=center Friendly
830 April 2003King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium1–0align=center Friendly
911 June 2003King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium2–0align=center Euro 2004 qualification
1020 August 2003King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium1–0align=center Friendly
1110 September 2003King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium1–0rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" Euro 2004 qualification
1210 September 2003King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium2–1-Euro 2004 qualification
1328 April 2004King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium1–0align=center Friendly
144 September 2004Stade du Pays de Charleroi, Charleroi, Belgium1–0align=center 2006 World Cup qualification1
1524 May 2006Cristal Arena, Genk, Belgium2–2align=center Friendly
1617 October 2007King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium1–0align=center Euro 2008 qualification
1730 May 2008Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy1–3align=center Friendly
186 September 2008Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège, Belgium1–0rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" 2010 World Cup qualification
196 September 2008Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège, Belgium3–1-2010 World Cup qualification
2010 September 2008Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey1–0align=center 2010 World Cup qualification
2111 October 2008King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium1–0align=center 2010 World Cup qualification
2215 October 2008King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium1–0align=center 2010 World Cup qualification
2328 March 2009Cristal Arena, Genk, Belgium2–4‡align=center 2010 World Cup qualification
2417 November 2009Stade Louis Dugauguez, Sedan, France2–0align=center Friendly

Honours and awards

Genk
Ajax
Individual