Biography
Who is Jetro Willems?
Early life and beginnings
Jetro Willems Danovich Sexer Willems was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on March 30, 1994. He began his path in association football playing for a local amateur team called Spartaan '20. Soon after, he transferred to the youth setup at Sparta Rotterdam, where he continued to develop his skills within their academy system.
His professional path started in earnest with Sparta Rotterdam. He made his debut for the senior team on January 16, 2011, during a match against Go Ahead Eagles. He accumulated 16 appearances in the Dutch second division during his tenure with the club before moving on to larger stages.
Rise at PSV Eindhoven
In August 2011, the defender signed a three-year deal with PSV Eindhoven. He quickly made an impact, debuting in October against Vitesse. By November of that same year, he became the youngest Dutch athlete to participate in a UEFA competition when he played against Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Europa League. His performance earned him a permanent spot in the first-team squad.
Jetro experienced a breakthrough season in 2011-12, largely due to an injury sustained by teammate Erik Pieters, which provided him with significant playing time. He scored his first professional goal in April 2012 against NEC, securing his status as the youngest goalscorer in the Eredivisie that season. He helped PSV win the KNVB Cup in 2012 and later celebrated league titles during the 2014-15 and 2015-16 campaigns.
International career milestones
The defender has been a consistent presence within the Dutch youth setup, especially winning the 2011 UEFA European Under-17 Championship with the national team. His rapid development led to a call-up for the senior squad by manager Bert van Marwijk in 2012.
He made history during UEFA Euro 2012. At 18 years and 71 days old, he started the opening match against Denmark. This appearance established him as the youngest player to compete in the history of the European Championship at that time. Although the Netherlands faced elimination after the group stage, his inclusion in the squad marked a significant milestone early in his professional career.
European club travels
Following his time in Eindhoven, he moved to Germany in 2017 to join Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt. During his first season, he participated in 29 matches and helped the team secure a victory over Bayern Munich in the 2018 German Cup final. He remained with the club until 2021, though he also spent a season on loan with Newcastle United in the English Premier League starting in 2019.
During his stint in England, he scored goals against both Liverpool and Manchester City before a knee injury ended his 2019-20 season early. After returning to Germany for a period, his career continued through various clubs. He signed with Greuther Fürth in 2021, followed by stints at Groningen and Heracles Almelo. In 2024, he moved to Spain to play for Castellón, and by June 2025, he returned to the Eredivisie to join NEC.
Birthday and age
Jetro Willems was born on March 30, 1994, which makes Jetro 32 years old today. That birthday falls under the Aries sign. Jetro shares the date with 68 other famous people.
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