Zinho Vanheusden

Zinho Vanheusden (born 29 July 1999) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Eredivisie club AZ Alkmaar on loan from Italian Serie A club Inter Milan. He also represents the Belgium national football team.

Zinho Vanheusden

Personal information
Date of birth	(1999-07-29) 29 July 1999 (age 23)
Place of birth	Hasselt, Belgium
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Centre-back
Club information
Current team	AZ (on loan from Inter Milan)
Number	27
Youth career
2008–2015	Standard Liège
2015–2018	Inter Milan
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2018–2019	Inter Milan	0	(0)
2018–2019	→ Standard Liège (loan)	26	(2)
2019–2021	Standard Liège	32	(1)
2021–	Inter Milan	0	(0)
2021–2022	→ Genoa (loan)	14	(0)
2022–	→ AZ (loan)	1	(0)
International career^‡
2014–2015	Belgium U16	11	(1)
2015–2016	Belgium U17	14	(6)
2016–2017	Belgium U18	2	(0)
2017	Belgium U19	2	(0)
2017–2020	Belgium U21	11	(2)
2020–	Belgium	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:41, 19 March 2022 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 07:39, 2 November 2020 (UTC)

Club career

Inter Milan

In mid-2015, Vanheusden joined Inter Milan's youth academy^[1] after 7 seasons in the Standard Liège youth system. He was promoted to the first team in the last few matches of 2016–17 Serie A;^[2] he also appeared as an unused bench for a few matches at the start of 2017–18 Serie A.^[3][4][5][6] He also played for the under-19 team as the starting defender, winning 2016–17 Campionato Nazionale Primavera.^[7] On 27 September 2017, Vanheusden injured his cruciate ligament in a UEFA Youth League match against FC Dynamo Kyiv,^[8] which kept him out of action for four months.^[9] On 26 January 2018, Vanheusden extended his contract with Inter until June 2022.^[10]

Loan to Standard Liège

On 30 January 2018, Vanheusden joined the Standard Liège until 30 June 2018, with an option to extend for one more year.^[11] Vanheusden made his professional debut with Standard Liège in a 1–0 Belgian First Division A playoff win over K.A.A. Gent on 14 April 2018.^[12]

Standard Liège

On 28 June 2019, Standard Liège signed Vanheusden in a permanent deal for a reported €12.5 million fee, which surpassed Nicolae Stanciu's record as the most expensive purchase by a Belgium club.^[13][14]

Return to Inter Milan

On 13 July 2021, he returned to Inter Milan.^[15]

Loan to Genoa

On 20 July, he was sent on loan to Genoa.^[16] He made his Serie A debut on 21 August against Inter away at the Giuseppe Meazza in a 4–0 loss to his team.^[17]

Loan to AZ

On 25 July 2022, Vanheusden was loaned by AZ in the Netherlands, with an option to buy.^[18]

International career

Vanheusden debuted with the Belgium national team in a 1–1 friendly draw with Ivory Coast on 8 October 2020.^[19]

Personal life

Vanheusden is named after the Brazilian footballer, Zinho after his performance at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.^[20]

Career statistics

As of match played 30 June 2022^[21]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		Europe		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Standard Liège (loan)	2017–18	First Division A	0	0	0	0	0	0	1^[a]	0	1	0
	2018–19		21	1	0	0	4	0	5	1	30	2
Standard Liège	2019–20	First Division A	20	1	3	0	5	1	0	0	28	2
	2020–21		8	0	0	0	5	0	4	0	17	0
	Total		49	2	3	0	14	1	10	1	76	4
Genoa	2021–22	Serie A	14	0	2	0	–		0	0	16	0
Career total			63	2	5	0	14	1	10	1	82	4

1. Appearance(s) in Belgian European Playoffs

References

1. "YOUTH TEAM TRANSFER DEALINGS" (Press release). F.C. Internazionale Milano. 2 September 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
2. "LAZIO 1-3 INTER" (Press release). F.C. Internazionale Milano. 21 May 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
3. "INTER 2-0 SPAL, THE NERAZZURRI MAINTAIN PERFECT RECORD" (Press release). F.C. Internazionale Milano. 10 September 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
4. "GOALS FROM SKRINIAR AND PERISIC SEE INTER BEAT CROTONE" (Press release). F.C. Internazionale Milano. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
5. "INTER STOPPED IN BOLOGNA, IT FINISHES 1-1 AT THE DALL'ARA" (Press release). F.C. Internazionale Milano. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
6. "INTER 1-0 GENOA: D'AMBROSIO HEADER SEALS LATE WIN" (Press release). F.C. Internazionale Milano. 24 September 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
7. "INTER PRIMAVERA ARE CHAMPIONS OF ITALY" (Press release). F.C. Internazionale Milano. 11 June 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
8. "UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE: INTER 2-2 DYNAMO KYIV". F.C. Internazionale Milano. 27 September 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
9. "Cruciate ligament injury for Vanheusden". Football Italia. Tiro Media. 28 September 2017. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
10. "Inter, il giovane Vanheusden rinnova fino al 2022". Corriere dello Sport (in Italian).
11. "Zinho VANHEUSDEN op uitleenbasis naar Standard".
12. "Un penalty tardif d'Emond donne une victoire précieuse au Standard contre Gand". 14 April 2018.
13. Uccellieri, Daniel (28 June 2019). "UFFICIALE: Inter, Vanheusden allo Standard Liegi a titolo definitivo". Tutto Mercato Web (in Italian). Arezzo: TC&C. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
14. "Inter sell Vanheusden for €12.5m". Football Italia. London: Tiro Media. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 29 June 2019.
15. "FC INTERNAZIONALE MILANO STATEMENT". Inter Milan. 13 July 2021.
16. @GenoaCFC (20 July 2021). "❤️💙 Zinho #Vanheusden è Rossoblù!" (Tweet). from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022 – via Twitter.
17. Alampi, Fabio (17 August 2021). "Verso Inter-Genoa: Vanheusden, debutto in Serie A tra presente e futuro". FC Inter 1908 (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. from the original on 20 October 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
18. "Vanheusden versterkt AZ" (in Dutch). AZ. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
19. "Belgium vs. Côte d'Ivoire - 8 October 2020". Soccerway.
20. "Jonge Belg wint prijzen in Italië: "Zinho, het geheim van het jonge Inter"".
21. Zinho Vanheusden at Soccerway

External links

• Zinho Vanheusden at the Royal Belgian Football Association
• Standard Profile