Toornstra reaches historic 500-match milestone in Eredivisie

The 37-year-old midfielder will reach 500 Eredivisie appearances on Sunday, becoming only the fifth outfield player to achieve the milestone.

Jens Toornstra will reach 500 Eredivisie appearances when Sparta Rotterdam face Ajax on Sunday, joining an elite group of players who have played over 500 matches in the Dutch top flight. The 37-year-old midfielder has distributed these appearances across four clubs since his 2009 debut: ADO Den Haag, FC Utrecht, Feyenoord and Sparta Rotterdam, where he has played since 2025.

Toornstra has scored 91 goals in 499 matches so far, with 55 of those coming during his eight-year spell at Feyenoord. He has received just one red card in his entire Eredivisie career, which came against his former club ADO Den Haag in 2021 while playing for Feyenoord. He is only the fifth outfield player to reach the 500-appearance mark, following Willy van der Kuijlen, Danny Blind, Willy van de Kerkhof and Aad Mansveld.

The all-time record for Eredivisie appearances is held by goalkeeper Pim Doesburg with 687 matches. Toornstra's contract with Sparta runs until 2027, leaving him time to add to his tally.