In our latest scout report, we have a close look at Hannes Van der Bruggen, the seasoned defensive midfielder and an ever-present force for Cercle Brugge in the Pro League A. Van der Bruggen’s style of play gravitates towards safety and finesse rather than making flashy forays into the attacking half. He's a standout when it comes to recovering the ball and making meaningful interceptions – he ranks in the top 15% among his league peers, which is testament to his excellent defensive awareness.
His progressive passing is a class above - almost no other defensive midfielder in the Pro League A can match him in this department. This unique strength of his – combined with an above-average chance creation percentile – makes him a reliable conduit from defense to attack.
However, his play is not without its weaknesses. His ball retention falls squarely in the middle of the pack, and his progressive carrying ability is notably poor – he barely surpasses the bottom of his league peers. This reflects a player who is content with distributing the ball quickly rather than taking it forward himself. Furthermore, his goal efficiency and goal threat percentiles are modest at best, indicating he's not particularly a goal-scoring threat from midfield.
Notably, Van der Bruggen's win percentage in duels is concerning, and he's also prone to committing fouls, as indicated by his high yellow cards percentile. This points to a player who could perhaps do with improving his decision-making and discipline on the field.
To sum it up, Van der Bruggen is the kind of steady, reliable player who offers more to a team with his ball recovery and passing than with his goal-making or goal-scoring abilities. His weaknesses do exist, but they shouldn’t overshadow his strong, defense-first style of play that makes him a key figure in Cercle Brugge's squad.
Hannes Van der Bruggen Key stats
Hannes Van der Bruggen Career Trend
Hannes Van der Bruggen Shot Maps
Hannes Van der Bruggen Shot Summary
In the 2023-2024 season, Hannes van der Bruggen took 35 shots, scoring 0 goals. This output came from an Expected Goals (xG) of 1.68, averaging 0.05 xG per shot.
Right Foot: 0 goals from 23 shots. A 0.0% conversion rate. 0.05 xG per shot.
Left Foot: 0 goals from 12 shots. A 0.0% conversion rate. 0.05 xG per shot.
Headers: 0 goals from 0 headed attempts. A 0% conversion rate. 0 xG per shot.
