Belgian U21 international joins Darmstadt 98 on a free transfer from PSV Eindhoven
SV Darmstadt 98 have secured the services of Nicolas Verkooijen. The Belgian U21 international joins the club from southern Hesse on a free transfer after his contract with Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven expired at the end of last season.
The 20-year-old is considered one of the most promising talents of his age group and, despite several offers, opted to join Darmstadt 98. Verkooijen will wear the number 10 jersey.
Fernie praises game intelligence and development potential
Sporting director Paul Fernie sees the signing as a positive signal for the development of the club.
"It's a confirmation of our work when a promising talent like Nicolas chooses Darmstadt despite various offers. He's very vocal, has high intensity, moves well in space, and is someone who constantly wants the ball. He also has very clean passing and good decision-making skills," explains Fernie.
At the same time, the sporting director emphasizes that the young Belgian will be given the necessary time to get used to his new environment.
Training at PSV Eindhoven
Verkooijen joined PSV Eindhoven's youth academy at the age of nine. He progressed through all the youth teams before being promoted to the reserve team in the summer of 2024, which plays in the Dutch second division, the Keuken Kampioen Divisie.
The right-footed player made a total of 41 appearances for PSV's reserve team in the second division. Last season, he played in 28 matches and was directly involved in ten goals.
Verkooijen has also gained experience with the first team, making a total of five appearances for the Dutch champions. He was also part of the squad for the Champions League matches against English top club Newcastle United and German record champions Bayern Munich.
Belgian U21 international
In March 2026, Verkooijen made his debut for the Belgian U21 national team. Previously, he had played seven times for his country's U19 team and twice for the U18 team.
The new signing is looking forward to his new role in Darmstadt.
“Recent history has shown that players can develop further at Darmstadt 98. I consciously chose to join the Lilies and the 2nd Bundesliga because I believe it's the ideal environment to mature as a footballer and as a person. I had a very good feeling after the initial talks with Darmstadt and I'm now really looking forward to this new challenge,” says Verkooijen.
With the signing of the Belgian youth international, the Lilies continue their path of bringing young talents with development potential to Darmstadt.
(DARMSTADT – RED/SV98)
