Bart Verbruggen

Bart Verbruggen is a Dutch goalkeeper whose passing gives his team a way to build attacks from deep. Comfortable receiving the ball as opponents close in, he can keep possession moving rather than immediately clear it. His value with his feet lies in helping the next teammate receive a usable pass under pressure.

His development began in NAC Breda’s youth system before a move to Anderlecht in summer 2020. First-team opportunities arrived near the end of that season, followed by further development with the under-21s. The route was not a straight promotion: he also played for the RSCA Futures in Belgium’s Challenger Pro League before becoming the senior side’s first choice after the winter break in 2022/23.

European matches gave that breakthrough a memorable shape. Against Ludogorets in the 2022/23 Conference League, Verbruggen saved three successive penalties in the shootout. He then helped Anderlecht overcome Villarreal on their way to the quarter-finals. Supporters voted him the club’s Player of the Season, an individual award recognising a campaign in which his saves repeatedly mattered.

He joined Brighton & Hove Albion in July 2023. Roberto De Zerbi described the football he had played in Belgium as similar to Brighton’s, while Verbruggen himself identified playing out from the back as a reason the move suited him. The fit concerned how a goalkeeper participates in possession as well as how he protects the goal.

His work without the ball developed alongside that passing role. Brighton’s analysis of the 2025/26 season highlighted his reactions when saving shots and improvement at catching crosses. Those are distinct demands: responding quickly to a strike and taking possession of a delivery before an attacker can turn it into another chance.

Verbruggen made his senior Netherlands debut in October 2023. At Euro 2024 he played in every Dutch match as the team reached the semi-finals, turning an early international opportunity into sustained responsibility at a major tournament.

He also started against Morocco in the 2026 World Cup’s round of 32. The Netherlands drew 1–1 after extra time but went out on penalties, a tournament ending that sits alongside the European Championship run in his international development.