Kostas Lamprou

Kostas Lamprou (Greek: Κώστας Λάμπρου; born 18 September 1991) is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Dutch Eredivisie club RKC Waalwijk.

Kostas Lamprou
Personal information
Full name Konstantinos Lamprou
Date of birth (1991-09-18) 18 September 1991
Place of birth Athens, Greece
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 RKC Waalwijk
Number 31
Youth career
Atromitos Elpida
2004–2005 Ajax
2006–2009 Feyenoord
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2015 Feyenoord 14 (0)
2010–2011 → Excelsior (loan) 0 (0)
2014–2015 → Willem II (loan) 33 (0)
2015–2017 Willem II 68 (0)
2017–2019 Ajax 3 (0)
2019–2020 Vitesse 0 (0)
2020– RKC Waalwijk 20 (0)
National team
2008–2009 Greece U17 3 (0)
2009–2010 Greece U19 9 (0)
2010–2013 Greece U21 14 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:15, 31 January 2021 (UTC).

Club career

Early years

Born in Athens, Lamprou started at amateur club Atromitos Elpida and was scouted by Dutch club Ajax at an international indoor football tournament, where he played as a guest player with the youth of Panathinaikos. He joined Ajax's youth academy at the age of thirteen but was released after six months. After this, he went to play with the amateurs of Amstelveen/Heemraad.[1] There, he stood out among the scouts of Feyenoord and entered their youth academy at Varkenoord.[1] At the age of sixteen, he signed his first professional contract.

Feyenoord

Lamprou made his Feyenoord debut in the 2009–10 preseason. A year later, Lamprou went on loan to Excelsior but returned to Feyenoord during the winter break after failing to establish himself in the first team at Woudestein. He was given a first-team squad number at De Kuip and was named among the substitutes for a number of Eredivisie games.[2]

Lamprou's official debut came in the KNVB Cup against AGOVV Apeldoorn on 20 September 2011, a 4–0 win for Feyenoord.[3] He spent the rest of the season as second-choice keeper behind Erwin Mulder. The former Sparta Rotterdam and PSV goalkeeper Pim Doesburg commented: "Lamprou is a fantastic keeper. I think he'll have to surrender his spot, management will prefer Mulder. But if it were up to me, I would always leave him in. He has a good kick, good reflexes, is agile and has been playing very well recently. They tell him he is too short. That's ridiculous, no one has ever said I was too short. Lamprou has incredible leaping ability."[4]

Loan to Willem II

On 4 July 2014, Willem II finalised the loan deal of Lamprou, agreeing to a season-long loan. At Willem II, he joined the established goalkeepers David Meul and Mattijs Branderhorst. Lamprou himself was happy with the chance to play for Willem II. "I have a good feeling about the discussions we have had. I hope we can make a nice season developing my skills even further."[5]

Willem II

On 19 May 2015, after his exceptional year with Willem II, the club's technical director Carlos Aalbers announced the permanent signing of the Greek international for the next two years: "Kostas fits into the play of Willem II and he has proved last season in the Eredivisie that he is a very good goalkeeper. We are therefore pleased that we sign with him for the next two years."[6][7] As a loanee of Feyenoord, Lamprou had played his best season so far. A return to De Kuip was not at issue, since the Greek keeper received a new contract. However, from mid-April Willem II were in talks of securing a longer stay for Lamprou in Tilburg. Willem II coach Jurgen Streppel described the goalkeeper as a someone who could further develop his skillset at the club. After a difficult start, he had become one of the pillars of the success of Willem II, who ended in ninth place in the Eredivisie.[8]

He started the 2015–16 season as the starting goalkeeper. On 14 September 2015, in the fifth matchday of Eredivisie in an away game against his former club Feyenoord, he had a number of great saves but could ultimately not avoid a defeat.[9] After a difficult season, where the club fought relegation, he started the 2016–17 season as the undisputable starter. On 4 December 2016, in a 0–0 home draw against FC Twente, he reached 100 appearances in Eredivisie.

Ajax

On 1 August 2017, Lamprou signed a one-year contract with Dutch club Ajax, becoming the fourth Greek in history to wear the colors of the club after Nikos Machlas, Yannis Anastasiou and Angelos Charisteas. The 26-year-old goalkeeper signed from Willem II, after two excellent seasons with them as a free transfer, even though he knew that he started as a third option.[10] In the beginning of the season he played for Jong Ajax, and on 25 October 2017 he made his debut with the first team in a 4–1 away win KNVB game against De Dijk.[11] Eventually, on 6 May 2018, the Greek goalie was finally handed his Eredivisie debut with Ajax and by saving five Excelsior shots he guided his team to a 2–1 away win, sealing UEFA Champions League participation for the following season.[12]

On 2 July 2018, he renewed his contract with Ajax until the end of the 2018–19 season.[13]

Vitesse and RKC

On 16 July 2019, after two years with Ajax, Lamprou signed a one-year contract with another Dutch club Vitesse for an undisclosed fee.[14]

On 30 June 2020, RKC Waalwijk announced that Lamprou has signed with the club on a free transfer until 2021.[15]

International career

Lamprou's consistency meant his first international call up in October 2012 from Fernando Santos, the coach of Greece national football team.[16]

Career statistics
As of match played 15 January 2021[17]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League KNVB Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Feyenoord 2009–10 Eredivisie 0000––00
2010–11 000000–00
2011–12 0020––20
2012–13 1202000–140
2013–14 201000–30
Total 140500000190
Excelsior (loan) 2010–11 Eredivisie 0000––00
Willem II (loan) 2014–15 Eredivisie 33010––340
Willem II 2015–16 Eredivisie 34030–4[lower-alpha 1]0410
2016–17 34010––350
Total 680400040760
Ajax 2017–18 Eredivisie 101000–20
2018–19 2030000050
Total 3040000070
Vitesse 2019–20 Eredivisie 002000–20
Total 0020000020
RKC Waalwijk 2020–21 Eredivisie 1600000–160
Career total 134016000401540
  1. Appearances in the Eredivisie relegation play-offs

Honours

Club

Ajax[18]

Jong Ajax[18]

References
  1. "Lamprou: 'Ik ga niet zeggen dat ik beter ben dan Erwin'". ad.nl (in Dutch). Algemeen Dagblad. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2020. De jonge keeper, door de Amsterdammers destijds weggeplukt bij de bescheiden Griekse amateurclub Atromitos Elpida, besloot echter niet onverrichter zake terug te keren naar Athene. Zijn eergevoel was zo groot, dat hij zijn terugreis naar Griekenland pas wenste te boeken als hij in Nederland een echt profcontract had verdiend. En dus deed hij een flinke stap terug richting amateurclub Amstelveen Heemraad. Een gouden zet, bleek later.
  2. "Kostas Lamprou Biography". Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  3. "Feyenoord soeverein langs AGOVV". Feyenoord.nl (in Dutch). 20 September 2011. Retrieved 24 December 2011.
  4. "Doesburg: 'Ik zou Lamprou laten staan'" (in Dutch). 22 November 2012.
  5. "el:Λάμπρου: Willem II huurt doelman Kostas Lamprou" (in Dutch). 4 July 2014. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2015.
  6. "Kostas Lamprou langer bij Willem II" (in Dutch). 19 May 2015.
  7. "Lamprou tekent voor twee jaar bij Willem II" (in Dutch). 19 May 2015.
  8. "Willem II legt Lamprou voor twee jaar vast" (in Dutch). 19 May 2015.
  9. "Zelfs Kostas Lamprou kan Willem II niet redden". 14 September 2015.
  10. Ανακοίνωσε Λάμπρου ο Άγιαξ (in Greek). 1 August 2017.
  11. "ASV de Dijk vs Ajax 1-4". 25 October 2017.
  12. "Κώστας Λάμπρου, ο τέταρτος Έλληνας του Άγιαξ που παίζει στην Eredivisie!" (in Greek). 7 May 2018.
  13. Ανανέωσε με Άγιαξ ο Λάμπρου (in Greek). 2 July 2018.
  14. "Ανακοίνωσε τον Λάμπρου η Φίτεσε" (in Greek). 16 July 2019.
  15. "Lamprou Signs for RKC Waalwijk" (in Dutch). 30 June 2020.
  16. "Archived copy" Λάμπρου: "Δεν περίμενα να με καλέσει ο Σάντος" (in Greek). 5 October 2012. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 6 May 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  17. "Kostas Lamprou Stats". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 14 January 2018.
  18. "Kostas Lamprou - Career Honours". Soccerway.
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