Milan Smits
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 13 November 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Berendrecht, Belgium | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | De Graafschap | ||
| Number | 6 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2013 | Zandvliet Sport | ||
| 2013–2015 | Lierse | ||
| 2015–2018 | KV Mechelen | ||
| 2018–2022 | Antwerp | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022–2025 | Young Reds Antwerp | 62 | (2) |
| 2023–2025 | Antwerp | 7 | (0) |
| 2025– | De Graafschap | 6 | (1) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 09:07, 12 December 2025 (UTC) | |||
Milan Smits (born 13 November 2004) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Dutch Eerste Divisie club De Graafschap.
Career
[edit | edit source]Smits was born in Berendrecht, Belgium, and began his footballing development at local club Zandvliet Sport, where he spent four years in the youth setup from 2009 to 2013.[2] He then joined the academy of Lierse, remaining there for two seasons before moving to KV Mechelen in 2015.[3] In 2018, Smits transferred to the youth department of Antwerp.[4]
He made his Belgian Pro League debut on 5 March 2023, coming on as a late substitute in a 5–0 home win against former club Mechelen. It was his only appearance of the season.[5] Later that month, he was given his first professional contract, to last until 2025, with the option of a further year.[4]
Smits returned to the first team on 24 January 2024, starting in a 3–2 victory away to OH Leuven in the quarter-finals of the Belgian Cup, shortly after the departure of midfielder Arthur Vermeeren to Atlético Madrid.[6]
On 25 June 2025, Smits joined Dutch Eerste Divisie side De Graafschap, signing a two-year contract with an option for a third.[7] At the time of the signing, technical manager Berry Powel described him as "a versatile midfielder with great stamina," highlighting his tactical awareness and ambition to grow.[8]
Personal life
[edit | edit source]Smits's father, Björn Smits was also a footballer, who played for Royal Antwerp in the 1990s.[5]
References
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- 2004 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Antwerp Province
- Belgian men's footballers
- Belgian expatriate men's footballers
- Men's association football midfielders
- K.V. Mechelen players
- Royal Antwerp F.C. players
- De Graafschap players
- Belgian Pro League players
- Eerste Divisie players
- Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands
- Belgian expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands
- 21st-century Belgian sportsmen