Veerle Buurman

Veerle Buurman
Buurman in 2025
Personal information
Full name Veerle Tooske Janna Roos Buurman
Date of birth (2006-04-21) 21 April 2006
Place of birth Bemmel, Netherlands
Position Defender
Team information
Current team
 Chelsea
Number 5
Youth career
Sportclub Bemmel
2023–2024 PSV
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2024 PSV 11 (0)
2024– Chelsea 12 (1)
2024–2025 → PSV (loan) 21 (1)
International career‡
2021–2022 Netherlands U16 7 (3)
2022–2023 Netherlands U17 13 (0)
2023–2024 Netherlands U19 14 (1)
2024 Netherlands U20 9 (2)
2024– Netherlands 18 (2)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 20:36, 29 May 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 9 June 2026

Veerle Tooske Janna Roos Buurman (Dutch: [ˈveːr.lə ˈtoːskə ˈjɑna roːs ˈbyrˌmɑn];[1] born 21 April 2006) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Chelsea and the Netherlands national team. She previously played for PSV Eindhoven in the Vrouwen Eredivisie.

Early life

Veerle Tooske Janna Roos Buurman was born on 21 April 2006 in Bemmel, the Netherlands. She has an older brother and younger brother who both play football.[2] Buurman began playing football at the age of five.[3]

Youth career

Buurman played football with the boys team at her local club Sportclub Bemmel up to under-17 level.[4]

In 2023, Buurman joined the youth academy of Dutch side Philips Sport Vereniging Vrouwen (commonly known as PSV Eindhoven).[5] Around six months after joining PSV's academy, she began progressing into the senior side.[3]

Club career

PSV, 2024

On 21 January 2024, Buurman made her club debut for PSV at the age of seventeen.[6][7]

Chelsea, 2024–

On 13 September 2024, Buurman was signed by Women's Super League club Chelsea.[8] Her signing earned a record fee for PSV.[5]

Loan to PSV, 2024–25

Immediately after signing for Chelsea, it was announced that Buurman would return to PSV on loan for the 2024–25 season.[8] She started 21 of PSV's 22 league matches.[9] At the end of the season, Buurman was named Eredivisie Talent of the Year.[10]

Return to Chelsea, 2025–

2025–26

Buurman made her debut for Chelsea in September 2025 during a 1–0 win against Leicester City.[11] In March 2026, Buurman's Champions League quarter-final equaliser against Arsenal was controversially[a] ruled out by VAR, with manager Sonia Bompastor describing the standard of refereeing as ‘‘not good enough.’’[15] Buurman scored her first goal for the club in April 2026 in the form of a late winner against Tottenham to send Chelsea into the FA Cup semi-finals.[16][17] The goal was named Chelsea's Goal of the Month for April.[18] Described as an ‘‘absolute rock at the back’’ by Chelsea and England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton,[19] Buurman's performance across the season—in which she was called into the starting lineup as both a left back and centre back due to injuries throughout the squad—led her to be named Barclay's WSL Rising Star.[20][21] She was shortlisted for PFA Women’s Young Player of the Year at the 2026 PFA Awards alongside Chelsea teammate Alyssa Thompson.[22]

International career

Buurman played for the Netherlands national under-20 team at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.[23]

On 29 October 2024, she made her debut for the senior Netherlands national team in a 2–1 friendly win over Denmark. Buurman's first senior goal came in December 2024 against the United States; she scored an own goal in the same half.[24]

Buurman was called up for the UEFA Women's Euro 2025 in Switzerland.[25] She made two appearances at the tournament — the Netherlands were knocked out at the group stage.

Personal life

Buurman has described fellow Dutch center-back Virgil van Dijk as her idol.[3]

International goals

Scores and results list Netherlands goal tally first.
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.3 December 2024ADO Den Haag Stadium, The Hague, Netherlands United States1–01–2Friendly
2.3 March 2026Gdańsk Stadium, Gdańsk, Poland Poland1–12–22027 FIFA Women's World Cup qualification

Honours

Chelsea
Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Chelsea player pronunciations 😅 🗣️". Instagram. Chelsea F.C. Women. 27 August 2025.
  2. ↑ "Knotsgek jaar voor Veerle Buurman (18): van tosti's verkopen bij SC Bemmel tot Chelsea-contract én Oranje-debuut" [Crazy year for Veerle Buurman (18): from selling toasted sandwiches at SC Bemmel to a Chelsea contract and national team debut] (in Dutch). Brabants Dagblad. 29 November 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "Inside the life of Veerle Buurman". Chelsea F.C. 24 August 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Van 'one of the Bemmel-guys' naar Jong PSV Vrouwen: 'Ik krijg nu ook de kleedkamerfun mee'" [From 'one of the Bemmel guys' to Jong PSV Women: 'I now also get to experience the locker room fun'] (in Dutch). De Gelderlander. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  5. 1 2 "TRANSFER | BUURMAN MAKES RECORD TRANSFER TO CHELSEA FC AND STAYS ON RENTAL BASIS FOR ANOTHER SEASON WITH PSV WOMEN". PSV. 13 September 2024.
  6. ↑ "Veerle Buurman". PSV. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Derksen, Linda (21 January 2024). "Vrouwen PSV beginnen 2024 met zege op Telstar". AD (in Dutch). Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  8. 1 2 "WSL transfer news: Chelsea sign Veerle Buurman from PSV Eindhoven". BBC Sport. 13 September 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  9. ↑ Ruszkai, Ameé (5 September 2025). "Veerle Buurman: Chelsea's 'tremendous' Dutch teenager ready to battle Millie Bright and Naomi Girma for minutes | Goal.com UK". GOAL. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Sem Steijn and Renate Jansen big winners at the Eredivisie Awards". eredivisie.eu. 26 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  11. ↑ "Match report: Chelsea 1-0 Leicester City". Chelsea F.C. 14 September 2025. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  12. ↑ Wrack, Suzanne (24 March 2026). "Bompastor calls for more 'respect' as Russo puts Arsenal in control of WCL tie". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 24 August 2026. an incredibly soft decision...The Frenchwoman was right to feel aggrieved by the decision to rule out Buurman's effort
  13. ↑ "Arsenal 3 Chelsea 1: Women's Champions League tactical analysis". Coaches' Voice. 25 March 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026. [Arsenal] rode their luck when the visitors had a Veerle Buurman effort controversially disallowed
  14. ↑ "Women's Champions League: Chelsea disallowed goal against Arsenal disputed by pundits". BBC Sport. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  15. ↑ Ferridge, Arthur (24 March 2026). "Chelsea fume over VAR controversy in Champions League loss to Arsenal". The Standard. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Buurman fires Chelsea into FA Cup semi-finals". The FA. 6 April 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Thomas, Marissa (6 April 2026). "Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham: Veerle Buurman sends Blues into Women's FA Cup semis". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  18. ↑ "Chelsea Women's Constant Contact April Goal of the Month revealed!". Chelsea F.C. 6 May 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  19. ↑ "Hannah Hampton on 'rock at the back' Veerle Buurman". Chelsea F.C. 20 May 2026. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  20. 1 2 Barnham, Rochelle (18 May 2026). "The Barclays WSL Rising Star is..." WSL Football. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  21. ↑ Limb, Beth (7 April 2026). "Veerle Buurman: A closer look at Chelsea's defensive revelation | BWSL". WSL Football. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  22. ↑ "PFA Awards 2026: Top Six Shortlists Announced". The PFA. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  23. ↑ "Veerle (18) binnen vijftien maanden van SC Bemmel naar Engelse landskampioen Chelsea: 'Ik tekende in Colombia via mijn telefoon'" [Veerle (18) from SC Bemmel to English national champion Chelsea within fifteen months: 'I signed in Colombia via my phone'] (in Dutch). Eindhovens Dagblad. 3 October 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  24. ↑ "Alyssa Naeher ends USWNT career with win over Netherlands". ABC News. 3 December 2024. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  25. ↑ "Women's Euro 2025 team guides: Netherlands". The Guardian. 29 June 2025. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
  26. ↑ Sanders, Emma (15 March 2026). "Chelsea 2-0 Manchester United: Lauren James and Aggie-Beever Jones score in League Cup final". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 15 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
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