Jelle Van Damme

Football player infobox
playername = Jelle Van Damme


fullname = Jelle Van Damme
height = height|m=1.94
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1983|10|19
cityofbirth = Lokeren
countryofbirth = Belgium
currentclub = Anderlecht
clubnumber = 6
position = Defender
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 2001-2002
2002-2004
2004-2006
2005-2006
2006-
clubs = Germinal Beerschot
Ajax
Southampton
→ Werder Bremen "(loan)"
Anderlecht
caps(goals) = 07 (0)
18 (0)
06 (0)
08 (1)
24 (1)
nationalyears = 2003-
nationalteam = Belgium
nationalcaps(goals) = 19 (0)
pcupdate = 17/11/2006
ntupdate = 05:14, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Jelle Van Damme (born October 10, 1983 in Lokeren) is a Belgian footballer currently on the books of Anderlecht. He can play as a central defender or a left back. Van Damme also plays with Belgium.

He started his career at Beveren before he made a short move to neighbour club Lokeren where he played in the youth teams. He then signed to Germinal Beerschot, a Jupiler League team linked with Ajax Amsterdam. The Dutch team offered him a try-out which started in February 2002. In the summer of 2002 Van Damme moved permanently to the Amsterdam club where he showed promise in the Dutch Cup. In season 2002-03 he played in the UEFA Champions League and started as a regular player in the squad but he broke his toe in November 2002. The next season he helped Ajax qualifying for the Champions League Group Stage but he had eventually few chances to play in the first team, which led him to sign to Southampton in the FA Premier League in the summer of 2004. In England he only played 6 matches for the whole season which saw the relegation of Southampton to the Coca Cola Championship

Van Damme subsequently moved on a loan basis to Werder Bremen in Germany though R.S.C. Anderlecht showed interest in the player at that moment. After only 8 matches and a goal in the Bundesliga in 2005-06, Van Damme performed a move to the Brussels squad which was officialised on June 6, 2006.

Jelle Van Damme made his debut in the national team on March 29, 2003 in a match against Croatia.

External links

*soccerbase|32470|Jelle Van Damme (incomplete)

References

*fr icon [http://www.rsca.com/article.php?language=en&aid=15708&menu=1 Anderlecht official website] - Van Damme moves to Anderlecht
*fr icon [http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/FootballFicheJoueur17269.html L'équipe official website] - Van Damme stats
*fr icon [http://fr.uefa.com/competitions/UCL/Players/Player=62401/index.html UEFA official website] - Van Damme portrayed