A Dutch attacking player is expected to strengthen the Lilies' midfield with creativity and goal threat
SV Darmstadt 98 has announced its next signing for the upcoming second division season. Lance Duijvestijn is transferring from Dutch first division club Sparta Rotterdam to the Böllenfalltor stadium and is expected to strengthen the Lilies' attacking midfield.
Sporting director Paul Fernie describes the 27-year-old as an important piece of the puzzle for the personnel overhaul in the attacking department. "With Lance, we're getting a crucial piece of the puzzle for the transformation of our attacking options. He has a very active style of play, finds solutions between the lines, and is always looking to shoot himself. He's also technically gifted and works very hard off the ball," Fernie explains. The Dutchman had been scouted for an extended period and was a top target for the club.
Duijvestijn is also looking forward to his first move outside the Netherlands. "After gaining a lot of experience in the Netherlands over the past few years, I'm really excited about this move abroad and to Darmstadt. The talks with Paul Fernie and Florian Kohfeldt went very well, and I like their style of play, which perfectly matches my own ideas about football," said the new signing.
Player of the season in the second division
Duijvestijn was trained at ADO Den Haag, where he also gained his first experience in men's football. After a stint at NEC Nijmegen, he moved to Helmond Sport in the Dutch second division in 2020.
Over the next three seasons, the attacking midfielder developed into one of the league's most dangerous goalscorers. For Helmond Sport and subsequently Almere City FC, he was directly involved in 65 goals in 112 second-division matches. With Almere, he achieved promotion to the Eredivisie in 2023.
After a move to Excelsior Rotterdam , Duijvestijn impressed despite their relegation, racking up eleven scorer points in just 17 matches. In the subsequent second-division season, he contributed to 20 goals in 23 league games, for which he was officially Player of the Season .
Experience in the Eredivisie
His performances subsequently earned him a move to Sparta Rotterdam . There, the right-footed player made 15 competitive appearances before being loaned to Fortuna Sittard during the winter break. For the Dutch first division club, Duijvestijn made 15 league appearances in the second half of the 2025/26 season , scoring three goals and providing two assists .
The attacking midfielder will wear the number 41 jersey at SV Darmstadt 98 in the future .
(DARMSTADT – RED/SV98)
