1. Overview
Ridgeciano Delano Leandro Haps (born June 12, 1993) is a professional footballer who primarily plays as a left-back for Venezia in Italy. Born in Utrecht, Netherlands, Haps is of Surinamese descent and represents the Suriname national team internationally. His career has seen him play for several notable clubs in the Netherlands and Italy, including AZ Alkmaar, Feyenoord, and Genoa CFC.
2. Early life and youth career
Ridgeciano Haps began his football journey in his hometown of Utrecht, starting at the amateur club Zwaluwen Vooruit. His talent quickly garnered attention, leading to scouts from both Feyenoord and Ajax expressing interest.
2.1. Youth development and early struggles
Haps initially participated in training sessions with both Feyenoord and Ajax. Although he personally favored Feyenoord, he ultimately joined Ajax's youth academy after Feyenoord decided not to pursue his acquisition. His tenure at Ajax was cut short at the age of 10 when Danny Blind, then Ajax's head of youth development, informed him that he was "insufficient" to advance to the next age group. Haps later reflected that this direct feedback from Blind served as a powerful motivation throughout his entire career, stating that it was a difficult experience he never wished to repeat.
Following his departure from Ajax, Haps moved to another amateur club in Utrecht, Elinkwijk. His performances there caught the eye of scouts from AZ, prompting him to join their youth system. At AZ, Haps was initially playing as a forward, but the club's coaching staff identified his potential as a left-back. Haps initially resisted this positional change and spent a year playing for AFC. However, after he notably scored three goals in a match against AZ, the club sought his return, and he rejoined their ranks. Despite signing with AZ as a forward, upon his promotion to the first team, then-manager Gertjan Verbeek decided to permanently convert him to the left-back position. Haps later expressed gratitude to Verbeek, stating that he quickly realized his proficiency in the new role and began to enjoy it from the outset.
3. Club career
Ridgeciano Haps's professional club career began at AZ Alkmaar, where he progressed through the youth ranks and eventually established himself as a key player. He subsequently moved to Feyenoord, a prominent Dutch club, and later embarked on a career in Italian football with Venezia FC and Genoa CFC.
3.1. AZ Alkmaar and loan to Go Ahead Eagles
Haps made his professional debut for AZ Alkmaar on September 28, 2013, in an Eredivisie match against PSV Eindhoven, coming on as a substitute for Donny Gorter at the start of the second half. He also made his UEFA Europa League debut on December 12, 2013, against PAOK Thessaloniki. During the winter break of the 2013-14 season, Haps was loaned to Go Ahead Eagles to secure more playing time, as Simon Poulsen had returned to AZ. He played 10 Eredivisie matches during his loan spell.
From the 2015-16 season, Haps became a consistent starter for AZ. In January 2016, he extended his contract with the club until 2019. The first half of the 2016-17 season saw significant growth in his performance, characterized by his exceptional speed and physical prowess, which made him a driving force on the pitch. In November 2016, AZ manager John van den Brom commented that Haps was "eligible to be selected for the Netherlands national team", and prominent football pundit Johan Derksen lauded him as "the best left-back in the Netherlands." However, his form experienced a decline in the latter half of that season. Overall, Haps made 111 appearances for AZ, scoring 5 goals across all competitions.
3.2. Feyenoord
On July 18, 2017, Haps joined Feyenoord on a five-year contract. This transfer occurred following the departure of Terence Kongolo, as Feyenoord sought to strengthen their left-back position. The reported transfer fee for Haps was approximately 6.00 M EUR, which at the time was the second-highest transfer fee in Feyenoord's club history.
During his time at Feyenoord, Haps contributed to several team achievements. On April 22, 2018, he played in the 2017-18 KNVB Cup final, where Feyenoord defeated AZ Alkmaar 3-0 to secure the trophy. He also won the Johan Cruyff Shield with Feyenoord in both 2017 and 2018. Over his tenure with the Rotterdam-based club, Haps made exactly 100 competitive appearances before his departure in 2021.
3.3. Venezia
On August 31, 2021, after completing 100 competitive appearances for Feyenoord, Haps made a permanent move to Venezia, a club newly promoted to Serie A. A notable moment during his initial season with Venezia occurred in a match against AS Roma on matchday 12. Haps performed an acrobatic clearance, defusing a header by Eldor Shomurodov directly on the goal line. This intervention proved to be a pivotal moment, enabling Venezia to seize control of the game in the remainder of the second half.
3.4. Genoa (loan)
On January 31, 2023, Haps moved to Genoa on a loan deal that included an option for a permanent transfer. After his initial loan spell, the agreement was renewed on August 29, 2023, for the duration of the 2023-24 season.
4. International career
Ridgeciano Haps, eligible to represent Suriname due to his descent, began his international career with the Suriname national team in 2021.
His international debut for Suriname occurred on June 4, 2021, in a match against the Bermuda national team. Haps made an immediate impact, providing an assist in Suriname's commanding 6-0 victory. A few weeks later, on June 25, he was officially named to the Suriname squad for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, a major international tournament for teams in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Prior to his senior international career, Haps also made one appearance for the Netherlands U-20 team in 2013.
5. Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| AZ | 2013-14 | Eredivisie | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 5 | 1 | |
| 2014-15 | Eredivisie | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 0 | |||
| 2015-16 | Eredivisie | 27 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | - | 36 | 3 | ||
| 2016-17 | Eredivisie | 30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 49 | 1 | |
| Total | 77 | 3 | 11 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 111 | 5 | ||
| Go Ahead Eagles (loan) | 2013-14 | Eredivisie | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 | ||
| Feyenoord | 2017-18 | Eredivisie | 23 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| 2018-19 | Eredivisie | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2019-20 | Eredivisie | 16 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | - | 25 | 3 | ||
| 2020-21 | Eredivisie | 21 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 28 | 4 | |
| 2021-22 | Eredivisie | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 70 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 100 | 7 | ||
| Venezia | 2021-22 | Serie A | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 25 | 1 | ||
| 2022-23 | Serie B | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 1 | |||
| Total | 44 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 44 | 2 | ||||
| Genoa (loan) | 2022-23 | Serie B | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2023-24 | Serie A | 14 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 16 | 1 | |||
| Total | 19 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 21 | 1 | ||||
| Career total | 220 | 10 | 21 | 3 | 39 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 286 | 15 | ||
6. Honours
Feyenoord
- KNVB Cup: 2017-18
- Johan Cruyff Shield: 2017, 2018