Kees Smit Biography, Career, Stats, Market Value

Kees Smit (born 21 January 2006) is a Dutch football midfielder who currently plays for Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar.

Club career

Smit, who hails from Heiloo, joined the AZ Alkmaar academy at the age of nine in 2015. He went on to become the youngest member of their under-12 squad. After rising through the ranks at Arizona, he signed a three-and-a-half-year professional contract in January 2021.

Smit was part of the first team squad on a mid-season training trip to Valencia, Spain, in December 2022. In January 2023, Smit’s goal in a five-a-side indoor game went viral owing to its odd nature, as he beat the outrushing goalie with a rebounding shot from the side wall.

Later that month, on January 23, 2023, Smit made his professional debut for Jong AZ in the Eerste Divisie at home against Helmond Sport. With AZ under-19s in the UEFA Youth League, he was part of the team that defeated Barcelona and Real Madrid in consecutive rounds to reach the semi-finals in March 2023.

Smit received praise for his long-range goal in the UEFA Youth League last-16 match against Barcelona. He also appeared in the UEFA Youth League final against Hajduk Split, which AZ won 5-0.

kees-smit-biography — Photo by Jeroen van den Berg/Soccrates/Getty Images

He made his UEFA Europa League debut for AZ Alkmaar on November 7, 2024, in a 3-1 home win against Fenerbahçe, scoring the second goal and receiving an assist for the third. On April 21, 2025, he played in the KNVB Cup final, which AZ lost on penalties to Go Ahead Eagles. The game concluded 1-1 in normal time after Go Ahead Eagles equalised in the 98th minute.

International career

Smit represented the Netherlands’ national under-16 football team against the Belgian under-16s in November 2021. Smit has since been selected for the Dutch U-17 team. Smit played for the Dutch U19s during the 2025 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, which they won for the first time. Smit was named player of the tournament.

Is he the next Kevin De Bruyne?

Smit looks and performs similarly to De Bruyne, who dominated the Belgian Pro League with Genk. He is already an accomplished ball carrier who constantly scans the field and performs admirably under pressure.

Because the essential skill set is already in place, Smit’s ultimate goal should be to evolve into the more refined, lethal version of De Bruyne, on whom Manchester City relied for years as their primary creator.

Market Value

As of November 2025, his market value is expected to be at €10 million. He has sparked interest from elite clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Newcastle United, with AZ Alkmaar reportedly asking for a club record sum of at least £22 million for his transfer.