Lewis Montsma

Lewis Montsma
Lewis Montsma in Dundee colours (2026)
Personal information
Full name Lewis Lee Montsma[1]
Date of birth (1998-04-25) 25 April 1998[2]
Place of birth Amsterdam, Netherlands[3]
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)[3]
Position Centre back
Team information
Current team
 Port Vale
Number 22
Youth career
–2013 AFC
2013–2017 Heerenveen
2018 Cambuur
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2020 FC Dordrecht 46 (1)
2020–2026 Lincoln City 83 (8)
2026 Dundee 0 (0)
2026– Port Vale 2 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:58, 23 August 2026 (UTC)

Lewis Lee Montsma (born 25 April 1998) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for EFL League Two club Port Vale.

Montsma made his Eerste Divisie debut for FC Dordrecht in August 2018 and played 46 league games in two seasons. He signed with English club Lincoln City in July 2020, where he would make 108 league and cup appearances in five-and-a-half seasons, his contributions limited by two ACL injuries. He joined Scottish club Dundee on a short-term deal in February 2026 and returned to England with Port Vale five months later.

Early and personal life

Montsma's mother is Swedish, making him eligible to play for Sweden internationally. He attended St Nicolaaslyceum alongside Matthijs de Ligt, with whom he regularly played football.[4] Alongside his early football career, he also worked as a model,[5] including for Burberry.[6]

Career

Early career

Montsma began his career at AFC. He damaged his right knee whilst in the academy at Heerenveen.[7] He then joined the under-21s at Cambuur.[8] He made his Eerste Divisie debut for FC Dordrecht on 31 August 2018 in a game against NEC, as a starter.[9] He played 46 games in two seasons at the Stadion Krommedijk, scoring one goal.[10]

Lincoln City

On 14 July 2020, Montsma joined English League One club Lincoln City on a three-year contract, on a free transfer.[11][12] He scored on his debut for the Imps in 2–1 win at Crewe Alexandra in the EFL Cup on 5 September.[13] He continued his goalscoring run, scoring in the second and third round of the EFL Cup against Bradford City and Premier League champions Liverpool.[14][15] He also scored his first league goal in a 2–0 victory over Charlton Athletic at Sincil Bank on 27 September.[16] Lincoln reached the play-off final at Wembley and Montsma came on as a late substitute during what ended as a 2–1 defeat to Blackpool.[17] He was named on the PFA Team of the Year in League One for the 2020–21 season.[18]

On 8 January 2022, Montsma sustained an Anterior cruciate ligament injury on his left knee against Oxford United and was ruled out of action for nine months.[19] Following his surgery on his ACL, he signed a new two-year contract.[20] After just over a year from his injury, Montsma returned to competitive football on 28 January 2023 against Cambridge United.[21] He picked up a similar knee injury a few months later against Fleetwood Town, which would see him miss the remainder of the 2022–23 season.[22] It was later confirmed that he had ruptured his ACL again as well as other knee damage, and he would undergo a further 12 months of rehabilitation.[23][24]

Despite not playing during the 2023–24 season, the club offered him a new contract,[25] with a short-term contract of six months signed in July.[26] He made his return from injury after 15 months out in a 2–1 defeat to Harrogate Town in the EFL Cup on 13 August 2024.[27] He started his first league game in 581 days on 26 October, saying it was "a long graft" to recover from his injury.[28] In December, he signed a multi-year contract extension to run until 2027.[29][30] He did not feature in League One under Michael Skubala in the first half of the 2025–26 campaign.[31] He was linked with a move to Shrewsbury Town, managed by former Lincoln boss Michael Appleton.[32] Sporting director Jez George published an open letter upon Montsma's departure, in which he called him a "special player" and "special person".[33]

Dundee

On 2 February 2026, Montsma signed for Scottish Premiership club Dundee on a short-term permanent deal with an option to extend.[34] With Luke Graham and Ryan Astley as an established centre-back partnership at Dens Park,[7] he left the club at the end of the 2025–26 season, having not played once for Steven Pressley's Dark Blues.[35]

Port Vale

He had a trial with Port Vale in July 2026,[36] and signed a one-year deal with the club on 31 July.[37]

Style of play

Montsma is a two-footed ball-playing centre back who is able to score from direct free kicks.[7][6]

Career statistics

As of match played 22 August 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup[a] League Cup[b] Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
FC Dordrecht 2018–19[2] Eerste Divisie 23110—00241
2019–20[2] Eerste Divisie 23010—00240
Total 461200000481
Lincoln City 2020–21[38] League One 40600336[c]0499
2021–22[39] League One 19120104[d]1262
2022–23[40] League One 8000000080
2023–24[41] League One 0000000000
2024–25[42] League One 16120102[d]0211
2025–26[43] League One 0010102[d]040
Total 838506314110812
Dundee 2025–26[43] Scottish Premiership 0000——00
Port Vale 2026–27[44] League Two 2000100030
Career total 1319707314115913
  1. ↑ Includes KNVB Cup, FA Cup, Scottish Cup
  2. ↑ Includes EFL Cup, Scottish League Cup
  3. ↑ Appearance(s) in League One Play-offs & EFL Trophy
  4. 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in EFL Trophy

Honours

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Notification of shirt numbers: Lincoln City" (PDF). English Football League. p. 38. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Lewis Montsma at Soccerway
  3. 1 2 Lewis Montsma at Soccerbase
  4. ↑ Fisher, Ben (24 September 2020). "Lincoln's Lewis Montsma: 'It's not easy to do modelling and football'". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  5. ↑ Aalbers, Dave (31 October 2018). "Hoe voetballer Lewis Montsma ook Burberry-model werd". VICE (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 Cran, George (2 February 2026). "Dundee new boy Lewis Montsma's unusual story – featuring Kendall Jenner, goalscoring exploits and injury hell". The Courier. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Cran, George (7 February 2026). "Lewis Montsma on why joining Dundee can help him 'laugh again' and new dimension he can add to Dark Blues". The Courier. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Waite, Alex (14 July 2020). "Lincoln City Sign Dutch Defender Lewis Montsma - Last Word On Football". Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Game Report by Soccerway". Soccerway. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  10. ↑ Atkin, Sam (14 July 2020). "Lincoln City confirm signing of Dutch defender Montsma". Lincolnshire Live. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Lewis Montsma: Lincoln City sign Dutch centre-half on three-year contract". BBC Sport. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Lewis Montsma". Lincoln City FC. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  13. ↑ "Crewe Report". Lincoln City FC. 5 September 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  14. ↑ "Bradford Report". Lincoln City FC. 15 September 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "Liverpool report". Lincoln City FC. 24 September 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  16. ↑ "Report Charlton". Lincoln City FC. 27 September 2020. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  17. ↑ Freeman, Jay (29 May 2021). "League One play-off final: Blackpool 2-1 Lincoln City - Tangerines return to Championship". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  18. 1 2 "Norwich City dominate with six players in PFA Championship team of the year". BBC Sport. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  19. ↑ "Lewis Montsma: Lincoln City defender out for up to nine months with ACL injury". BBC Sport. 14 January 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Montsma recovering after surgery". Lincoln City FC. 4 February 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  21. ↑ Burley, Alfie (28 January 2023). "Lincoln vs Cambridge team news confirmed as January signing makes first start". Lincolnshire Live. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  22. ↑ "Update on Montsma injury". Lincoln City FC. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  23. ↑ "Montsma injury update". Lincoln City FC. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  24. ↑ "Lewis Montsma: Lincoln City defender out for a least 12 months after suffering another ACL injury". BBC Sport. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  25. ↑ "Retained list". Lincoln City FC. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  26. ↑ "Montsma signs new Imps contract". Lincoln City FC. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  27. ↑ "Montsma reflects on first competitive action in 15 months". Lincoln City FC. 14 August 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  28. ↑ "Montsma: "I'm very happy to be back"". Lincoln City FC. 26 October 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  29. ↑ "Lewis Montsma: Lincoln City defender agrees new deal until 2027". BBC Sport. 23 December 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  30. ↑ "Montsma commits future to Imps". Lincoln City FC. 23 December 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  31. ↑ "Dundee sign Lincoln defender Montsma on six-month deal". BBC Sport. 2 February 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  32. ↑ "Lincoln City Defender Linked With Exit: Former Boss Waiting To Take Him On | The Stacey West". The Stacey West. 26 January 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  33. ↑ Cran, George (3 February 2026). "Lincoln chief pens heartfelt farewell to Dundee new boy Lewis Montsma". The Courier. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  34. ↑ "Montsma Joins The Dee". Dundee FC. 2 February 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  35. ↑ "Retained List 2026". Dundee FC. 1 June 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
  36. ↑ Baggaley, Mike (19 July 2026). "Trialists and talking points from a win at Wigan". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 19 July 2026.
  37. ↑ "Lewis Montsma is a Valiant!". Port Vale FC. 31 July 2026. Retrieved 1 August 2026.
  38. ↑ "Games played by Lewis Montsma in 2020/2021". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  39. ↑ "Games played by Lewis Montsma in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  40. ↑ "Games played by Lewis Montsma in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  41. ↑ "Games played by Lewis Montsma in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  42. ↑ "Games played by Lewis Montsma in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  43. 1 2 "Games played by Lewis Montsma in 2025/2026". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  44. ↑ "Games played by Lewis Montsma in 2026/2027". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
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