Pieter Collen
Encyclopedia
Pieter Collen is a Belgian
footballer
who last played as a defender for Brisbane Roar.
, Feyenoord
, Sint-Truidense and SC Cambuur-Leeuwarden.
Collen started his professional career in his hometown with AA Ghent. He defended the white and blue colours for 2 seasons before moving to the Netherlands. He ended up with Vitesse but never broke through and he left for rivals NEC the same year. In Nijmegen he forced himself into the starting eleven but made a huge impression and impact in his second season with NEC. Feyenoord was interested in his abilities and signed for the club in Rotterdam.
Once he arrived in Rotterdam Collen started on the bench. Due to good play in training, he forced himself into the squad and played many good matches in the Dutch premiership as well as in the UEFA Champions League. Then he had to endure a string of injuries and long revalidation caused him to be sidelined until the end of 2002 season. When declared suitable to play again he was loaned out to NAC Breda but due to another a season long injury he returned to Feyenoord.
The big turn came halfway 2003/2004 when loaned out to Nac Breda again and played 51 matches in one and a half seasons. Feyenoord recalled him and with Erwin Koeman as coach, he hardly played, also due to injuries. Since February, he started to play regularly again and was man of the match on several occasions. In season 2007/2008 he is no longer in the first team plans and he plays for Young Feyenoord (reserves). In the winter break, he moved to Sint-Truiden and signed a contract until 2010. It was however annulled at the end of previous seasons.
To maintain his physical fitness he trained in the first half of the season of 2008-2009 with NEC. In the second half, he provided his services to amateur league outfit SC Cambuur where he had half a season to earn a contract. Now he turns his back to the Dutch leagues to continue his career in the Exqi League.
On 11 January 2010 he signed for Brisbane Roar in the Australian A-League
for the remainder of the season, replacing former captain Craig Moore
. It was announced on May 6, 2010 that Collen had not been offered a new contract for the 2010/2011 season despite earlier indications that he would be retained by the club.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
who last played as a defender for Brisbane Roar.
Club career
His former teams are K.A.A. Gent, NEC Nijmegen, NAC BredaNAC Breda
NAC Breda , simply often known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Dutch Eredivisie and are known by the fierce and fanatic support of...
, Feyenoord
Feyenoord Rotterdam
Feyenoord is a Dutch professional football club located in Rotterdam. Along with Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord is one of the "big three" clubs in the Netherlands. These three clubs and Utrecht and Roda JC are the only clubs never to have been relegated from the Dutch first division...
, Sint-Truidense and SC Cambuur-Leeuwarden.
Collen started his professional career in his hometown with AA Ghent. He defended the white and blue colours for 2 seasons before moving to the Netherlands. He ended up with Vitesse but never broke through and he left for rivals NEC the same year. In Nijmegen he forced himself into the starting eleven but made a huge impression and impact in his second season with NEC. Feyenoord was interested in his abilities and signed for the club in Rotterdam.
Once he arrived in Rotterdam Collen started on the bench. Due to good play in training, he forced himself into the squad and played many good matches in the Dutch premiership as well as in the UEFA Champions League. Then he had to endure a string of injuries and long revalidation caused him to be sidelined until the end of 2002 season. When declared suitable to play again he was loaned out to NAC Breda but due to another a season long injury he returned to Feyenoord.
The big turn came halfway 2003/2004 when loaned out to Nac Breda again and played 51 matches in one and a half seasons. Feyenoord recalled him and with Erwin Koeman as coach, he hardly played, also due to injuries. Since February, he started to play regularly again and was man of the match on several occasions. In season 2007/2008 he is no longer in the first team plans and he plays for Young Feyenoord (reserves). In the winter break, he moved to Sint-Truiden and signed a contract until 2010. It was however annulled at the end of previous seasons.
To maintain his physical fitness he trained in the first half of the season of 2008-2009 with NEC. In the second half, he provided his services to amateur league outfit SC Cambuur where he had half a season to earn a contract. Now he turns his back to the Dutch leagues to continue his career in the Exqi League.
On 11 January 2010 he signed for Brisbane Roar in the Australian A-League
A-League
The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...
for the remainder of the season, replacing former captain Craig Moore
Craig Moore
Craig Andrew Moore , is a retired Australian soccer defender.Moore is best known for his two spells with Scottish Premier Division / Scottish Premier League club Rangers...
. It was announced on May 6, 2010 that Collen had not been offered a new contract for the 2010/2011 season despite earlier indications that he would be retained by the club.