Dion Cools
Cools playing for Malaysia in 2023
Personal information
Full name Dion-Johan Chai Cools
Date of birth (1996-06-04) 4 June 1996
Place of birth Kuching, Malaysia[1]
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Position(s) Centre back, right back
Team information
Current team
 Buriram United
Number 11
Youth career
2002–2005 Tempo Overijse
2005–2010 OH Leuven
2010–2011 Anderlecht
2011–2013 OH Leuven
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2015 OH Leuven 26 (0)
2015–2020 Club Brugge 81 (7)
2020–2022 Midtjylland 38 (1)
2022 → Zulte Waregem (loan) 11 (0)
2022 Jablonec 8 (1)
2023– Buriram United 37 (1)
International career‡
2014 Belgium U18 2 (0)
2014–2015 Belgium U19 8 (2)
2016–2019 Belgium U21 18 (4)
2021– Malaysia 21 (4)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Malaysia
Merdeka Tournament
Runner-up2023
King's Cup
Runner-up2022
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 November 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 November 2023

Dion-Johan Chai Cools[3] (born 4 June 1996) is a Malaysian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or a full-back for Thai League 1 club Buriram United and the Malaysia national team. At club level, he has played in Belgium and Denmark for OH Leuven, Club Brugge and FC Midtjylland.

Cools has represented Belgium at youth level with 28 caps, but chose to play for the Malaysian national football team at senior level. He made his senior debut for Malaysia on 3 June 2021.

Early life

Cools was born in Kuching, Sarawak, to a Belgian father, Hans Cools,[4] and a Malaysian mother, Xylina Chai.[5][6] The couple relocated to Belgium more than 20 years ago, following their marriage.[1] Dion was named by his parents after Johan Cruyff and Dion Dublin, the latter being a former player for Coventry City and Manchester United.[4]

Club career

Early years

Cools started his career with Tempo Overijse, but soon moved to OH Leuven as a 9-year-old.[7] In 2010, he joined the Anderlecht youth team.[8] After a season, he returned to the OH Leuven youth academy in 2013. He signed his first professional contract with the club in July 2014 after completing secondary school.[9][10]

OH Leuven

On 3 August 2014, Cools made his debut in the first team of OH Leuven, competing in the Belgian Second Division. He was in the starting lineup for the away match against Racing Mechelen.[11][12] In May 2015, he participated with OH Leuven in the final round for promotion. Cools did not miss a single minute of the final round and won promotion to the Belgian First Division A again with the club.[13]

Club Brugge

On 23 June 2015, Cools signed a four-year contract with Club Brugge. He won two Belgian national titles and twice the Belgian Super Cup. Cools became a starter under head coach Michel Preud'homme in the 2016–17 season due to poor performances by former Dutch international Ricardo van Rhijn, who had initially become the starter after the departure of regular right-back Thomas Meunier to Paris-Saint Germain.[14][15] Cools also remained a starter under new coach Ivan Leko, with whom he was reunited after his time with OH Leuven. Cools would, however, later become benched after the emergence of Clinton Mata at the position.[16]

Midtjylland

On 31 January 2020, Cools signed a three-year contract with Midtjylland in the Danish Superliga.[17] He made his debut for the club on 17 February in a 2–0 win over Lyngby.[18] Cools scored his first goal for the club on 14 February 2021, the only goal of the match in a win over Horsens in the Superliga.[19]

Initially, Cools played regularly under coach Brian Priske but suffered a foot injury that kept him out of action for three months. During his recovery, Priske left the club, and the incoming coach did not feature Cools as prominently in the team. Despite working to regain his position, another injury, this time to his pelvis, further disrupted his progress. Off the field, Cools faced challenges adapting to life in Denmark, citing a lack of social interactions and the country's long, wet winters as contributing factors.[20]

Cools and FC Midtjylland have mutually agreed to cancel his contract with the club on 9 September 2022, making him a free agent.[21]

Loan to Zulte Waregem

On 4 January 2022, Cools was loaned out to Zulte Waregem by Midtjylland until the end of 2021–22 season as Cools was looking for more playing time, according to Midtjylland's director of football.[22][23]

During his stint at this club, Cools playing time was inconsistent and he found integrating back into Belgian football challenging. He questioned whether his mindset was right for playing back home again, and he admitted to not playing with complete freedom. The team was also in a difficult period as they were fighting against relegation. Therefore, his performance and overall experience at Zulte Waregem were mixed.[24]

FK Jablonec

On 12 September 2022, Cools signed for Czech Republic club, FK Jablonec on a short-term deal.[25][26] He stated that the motivation behind the move is to get more playing time as his former club, Midtjylland, decided to switch to a different playing system, which curtailed his playing time.[27]

Buriram United

On 3 January 2023, Cools signed a one and half-year contract with Buriram United in the Thai League 1 on a free transfer.[28] He made his debut for the club on 22 January in a 3–0 win over Sukhothai after selected to the starting eleven against the club and played full 90 minutes of the match.

On 22 April 2023, Buriram United were crowned as the champion of 2022–23 Thai League 1 after securing a win 2–1 against Chiangrai United.[29]

International career

He was called up for 2015 UEFA European Under-19 Championship qualification by Belgian Under-19 national team coach, Gert Verheyen. He was also eligible to play for Malaysia through his mother's bloodline.

Additionally, due to her mother's ancestry which can be traced to Guangdong, China, at one time, Cools was in discussions with Jiangsu FC about the possibility of naturalizing to play for the Chinese national team. However, the complex nature of the naturalization process led to the abandonment of those discussions.[6]

On 1 June 2021, Cools was announced as the newest addition to Malaysia's 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers match against the United Arab Emirates, after paperwork for his eligibility was completed with FIFA and the AFC.[30] He debuted for Malaysia in a 4–0 loss to UAE on 3 June 2021.[31]

Cools scored his first international goal in Malaysia's final AFC 2023 Asian Cup Qualifiers match against Bangladesh, helping Malaysia secure a 4–1 win,[32] which confirmed Malaysia's AFC Asian Cup qualification for the first time by merit in 42 years.[33] Cools was named as the man of the match.[34]On 16 November 2023 during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match, Dion scored 2 goals against Kyrgyzstan which Malaysia was losing to a 3–1 deficit to the opponents before the side comeback to a 4–3 win.

Personal life

Dion Cools and his girlfriend, Melissa Schelfhout had a child named Liam-Zayn Cools,[35] before getting married on 6 May 2022.[36]

Cools has stated that his footballing idol is Club Brugge legend, Gert Verheyen.[4]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 12 May 2023[37]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
OH Leuven 2014–15[38] Belgian Second Division 26011—6[lower-alpha 1]0331
Club Brugge 2015–16 Belgian Pro League 50304[lower-alpha 2]100121
2016–17 First Division A 243203[lower-alpha 2]01[lower-alpha 3]0303
2017–18 First Division A 353501000413
2018–19 First Division A 151103010201
2019–20 First Division A 2000100030
Total 817110121201068
Midtjylland 2019–20 Danish Superliga 50———50
2020–21 Danish Superliga 2112030—261
2021–22 Danish Superliga 1203030—180
Total 3815060—491
Zulte Waregem (loan) 2021–22 First Division A 11000——110
Jablonec 2022–23 Czech First League 8011——91
Club Season League Cup Asia Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Buriram United 2022–23 Thai League 1 140200040200
Career total 178820218112022711
  1. ↑ Appearances in the Second Division play-offs
  2. 1 2 Appearances in the Champions League
  3. ↑ Appearance in the Belgian Super Cup

International

As of match played 16 November 2023[39]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Malaysia 202140
202291
202353
Total184

International goals

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1. 14 June 2022 Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur  Bangladesh 2–1 4–1 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification
2. 13 October 2023  India 1–0 4–2 2023 Merdeka Tournament
3. 16 November 2023  Kyrgyzstan 1–0 4–3 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
4. 3–3

Honours

OH Leuven

Club Brugge

Midtjylland

Buriram United

Malaysia

Individual

References

  1. 1 2 "7 European footballers of Southeast Asian origins | Page 4 of 7". Football Tribe Asia. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  2. ↑ "Dion Cools". FIFPlay. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "Dion-Johan Chai Cools". www.proleague.be. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Maebe, Guillaume (7 August 2015). "Je enige kind dat een goal maakt van 5,4 miljoen euro, dat is wat" [Your only child scoring a goal worth 5.4 million euros, that's something] (in Dutch). Retrieved 11 September 2023 – via PressReader.
  5. ↑ "Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  6. 1 2 网易 (19 September 2022). "他是捷克联赛的"网红"，具有华裔血统，但是没成为中国归化国脚". www.163.com. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  7. ↑ "Officieel: Oud-Heverlee Leuven geeft jonge verdediger een kans". voetbalnieuws.be.
  8. ↑ "Who is Dion Cools - Meet the former Belgium Under-21 star who is eligible to represent Malaysia | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
  9. ↑ "Dion Cools: It would be an honour for me to represent Malaysia". fourfourtwo.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "Official website Oud-Heverlee Leuven". ohl.be. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  11. ↑ "Racing Mechelen vs. OH Leuven - 3 August 2014 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 4 March 2021.
  12. ↑ Bogaert, Glenn (27 October 2015). "Dion Cools: "Opnieuw in de schaduw belanden, dat was even slikken"". De Morgen (in Dutch).
  13. ↑ Stroobants, Tom (26 May 2015). "Zo vierden spelers en supporters van Oud-Heverlee Leuven de promotie". Voetbalkrant.com (in Dutch).
  14. ↑ "Van Rhijn krijgt concurrentie van scorende en gretige back: 'Uitvechten'". www.voetbalprimeur.nl (in Dutch). 30 July 2016.
  15. ↑ "Club bereikt akkoord over opvolger Meunier". Het Nieuwsblad (in Flemish). 19 June 2015.
  16. ↑ "Geen plaats meer bij Club Brugge, Dion Cools dicht bij vertrek in januari". Het Nieuwsblad (in Flemish). 4 December 2019.
  17. ↑ FC Midjylland Henter Dion Cools I Club Brügge Archived 31 January 2020 at the Wayback Machine, fcm.dk, 31 January 2020
  18. ↑ Helbo, Benjamin Alexander (17 February 2020). "Dreyers debutant-mål drev FCM til sejr". bold.dk (in Danish).
  19. ↑ "FCM Høster Tre Point Mod Horsens". FCM (in Danish). 14 February 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  20. ↑ "Made in Belgium. Globetrotter Dion Cools is een ster in Thailand, waar hij tegen de rijkste voetballer ter wereld speelde: "Ik vond hem best nog goed"" [Made in Belgium. Globetrotter Dion Cools is a star in Thailand, where he played against the world's wealthiest footballer: "I thought he was quite good"]. (knikt) "Bij Midtjylland zat ik in een goeie flow onder Brian Priske, tot ik een beentje brak in mijn voet en drie maanden aan de kant stond. Priske vertrok en zijn opvolger was meteen heel rechtuit. Hij moest me niet. Ik knokte me toch weer in een relevante positie, maar dan brak ik weer iets, in mijn bekken, en verloor ik mijn plek opnieuw." "Het leven naast het veld beviel ons ook niet. Niet alleen omdat Denemarken donkere en natte dagen telt. Voor ons als gezin was het er ook eenzaam. Het ontbrak ons aan entourage of vrienden om eens iets mee te gaan eten. Een vrije dag was geen moment van rust, wel de hel. Niets te doen, in huis blijven, de uren tellen. Toen ging ik naar Zulte Waregem. Ik speelde daar af en toe wel, maar dat liep niet altijd even vlot. Ik weet niet of mijn mindset op punt stond om weer in België te spelen. En vooral, om tegen degradatie te vechten. Ik speelde helemaal niet bevrijd."
  21. ↑ "FCM ophæver med Dion Cools". FC Midtjylland (in Danish). Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  22. ↑ "Essevee huurt Dion Cools tot het einde van het seizoen". ESSEVEE - SV Zulte Waregem (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  23. ↑ Risom, Jens. "Dion Cools udlejes til belgisk fodbold". FC Midtjylland (in Danish). Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  24. ↑ "Made in Belgium. Globetrotter Dion Cools is een ster in Thailand, waar hij tegen de rijkste voetballer ter wereld speelde: "Ik vond hem best nog goed"". Het leven naast het veld beviel ons ook niet. Niet alleen omdat Denemarken donkere en natte dagen telt. Voor ons als gezin was het er ook eenzaam. Het ontbrak ons aan entourage of vrienden om eens iets mee te gaan eten. Een vrije dag was geen moment van rust, wel de hel. Niets te doen, in huis blijven, de uren tellen. Toen ging ik naar Zulte Waregem. Ik speelde daar af en toe wel, maar dat liep niet altijd even vlot. Ik weet niet of mijn mindset op punt stond om weer in België te spelen. En vooral, om tegen degradatie te vechten. Ik speelde helemaal niet bevrijd.
  25. ↑ "Obránce Dion Cools novým hráčem Jablonce!". FK Jablonec (in Czech). Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  26. ↑ "SportPlus on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  27. ↑ "Dion Cools: Těším se na novou výzvu!". FK Jablonec (in Czech). Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  28. ↑ "Buriram bring in three to strengthen team!". Bangkokpost.com. 19 January 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  29. ↑ "Buriram United Muncul Juara Thai League 1 22/23!". vocketfc.com. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  30. ↑ Ramalingam, Stuart (1 June 2021). "Dion Cools kini Milik Harimau Malaya". fam.org.my (in Malay).
  31. ↑ "UAE vs. Malaysia - 3 June 2021 - Soccerway".
  32. ↑ "Qualifiers Final Round Group E: Malaysia 4-1 Bangladesh". the-AFC. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  33. ↑ "Malaysia end wait of more than 40 years to qualify on merit for Asian Cup". prn.bernama.com. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  34. ↑ "Cools is hot stuff for Malaysia". New Straits Times Malaysia. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  35. ↑ "Dion-Johan Cools - Please welcome my pride and joy: Liam-Zayn Cools ❤️ | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  36. ↑ "Dion-Johan Cools (djcools21)". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  37. ↑ Dion Cools at Soccerway. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  38. ↑ "Belgium - D. Cools - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". au.soccerway.com. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  39. ↑ "Dion Cools". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 6 June 2021.
  40. ↑ "Dream ASEAN XI".
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