Ian Maatsen: Inside the Rise of Aston Villa’s Fast and Fearless Dutch Defender

Ian Maatsen is one of those footballers who seems to be everywhere on the pitch. One moment he is stopping an attack, and a few seconds later he is racing forward to help his team score. The Dutch defender has played for Chelsea, Burnley, Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa, and his journey to the top has included loans, trophies, a Champions League final and a place with the Netherlands national team. Ian Maatsen

Quick Bio of Ian Maatsen

Maatsen was born in Vlaardingen in the Netherlands on March 10, 2002. UEFA currently lists him as an Aston Villa defender wearing number 22, while the Premier League also identifies him as a left-footed Dutch defender.

Who Is Ian Maatsen?

Ian Maatsen is a Dutch professional football player best known for playing as a left-back.

But calling him only a defender does not tell the full story.

Maatsen loves moving forward. He can run with the ball, join attacks and play in advanced areas. His speed and energy make him useful at both ends of the pitch.

Think about a normal defender who mainly stays near his own goal. Maatsen is different. He often wants to help defend and attack.

That is one reason his career has become so interesting.

Before becoming an important Aston Villa player, Maatsen had to prove himself at several different clubs.

He did not simply walk into Chelsea’s first team and stay there.

Instead, he went on loan, learned different styles of football and slowly built his reputation.

Ian Maatsen’s Early Life in the Netherlands

Ian Maatsen was born in Vlaardingen, a city near Rotterdam.

Football became a big part of his life while he was still young.

He spent time in the youth systems of some well-known Dutch clubs. His early football journey included Feyenoord, Sparta Rotterdam and PSV Eindhoven before Chelsea brought him to England.

That was a big move for a teenager.

Imagine leaving the country where you grew up and joining one of England’s biggest football clubs while still learning your game.

For Maatsen, that became the beginning of a much bigger adventure.

How Ian Maatsen Joined Chelsea

Chelsea added Maatsen to its academy after his time with PSV Eindhoven.

He worked his way through Chelsea’s youth teams and eventually got his first taste of senior football.

Maatsen made his Chelsea senior debut in September 2019 during a League Cup match against Grimsby Town. Chelsea later confirmed that he had spent six years with the club before leaving permanently in 2024.

However, first-team opportunities were limited.

Chelsea had a large squad filled with experienced players, so Maatsen needed another way to play regular football.

The answer was simple: loans.

Those temporary moves became extremely important to his career.

Why Ian Maatsen Went on Loan

Young footballers can learn a lot in training, but matches are different.

Playing every week brings pressure. Players must make quick decisions while thousands of people watch.

Chelsea therefore sent Maatsen to several clubs where he could gain real experience.

His first major loan was with Charlton Athletic.

After that came Coventry City.

Then he joined Burnley.

Each move gave him something different.

Instead of seeing those loans as a sign that he was failing, it makes more sense to see them as steps on a ladder.

Each step took him closer to the top.

Ian Maatsen at Burnley Changed Everything

Burnley was where many football fans really started paying attention to Maatsen.

He joined the club for the 2022/23 Championship season and worked under manager Vincent Kompany.

Burnley had a fantastic year.

They won the Championship and earned promotion to the Premier League.

Maatsen played 39 league games, scored four goals and made six assists during that title-winning campaign.

Those are impressive attacking numbers for a left-back.

His performances were good enough to earn him a place in the 2023 Championship Team of the Season. The EFL’s official awards record lists Maatsen among that season’s selected Championship players.

Suddenly, Maatsen was no longer simply a Chelsea youngster being sent away on loan.

He had shown that he could become an important player for a successful team.

Returning to Chelsea

After his strong season with Burnley, Maatsen returned to Chelsea.

This was his chance to prove himself at Stamford Bridge.

He appeared for Chelsea’s senior side during the 2023/24 campaign, but becoming a regular starter was still difficult.

Chelsea later said Maatsen made 15 appearances for the club before leaving on another loan.

That next move would become one of the biggest moments of his career.

He went to Germany.

Ian Maatsen’s Borussia Dortmund Adventure

In January 2024, Ian Maatsen joined Borussia Dortmund on loan.

The move worked brilliantly.

Dortmund gave him important minutes, and Maatsen quickly became involved in major matches.

Most importantly, Dortmund went on a remarkable UEFA Champions League run.

Maatsen played an important part in it.

He even scored during Dortmund’s Champions League quarter-final victory against Atlético Madrid.

Soon, the young defender found himself preparing for something most footballers can only dream about:

a Champions League final.

Playing in the Champions League Final

Borussia Dortmund reached the 2024 Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.

Their opponent was Real Madrid.

Maatsen started the biggest club match of his career, but Dortmund were unable to complete their fairytale run.

Real Madrid won 2-0.

Even so, reaching the final was a huge achievement.

Maatsen made 16 Bundesliga appearances and seven Champions League appearances during his Dortmund spell. His performances also earned him a place in UEFA’s 2023/24 Champions League Team of the Season.

Think about how quickly his career had changed.

Only a short time earlier, he was playing Championship football with Burnley.

Now he had played in a Champions League final at Wembley.

Why Borussia Dortmund Did Not Keep Ian Maatsen

After such a successful loan, many fans wondered whether Dortmund would sign him permanently.

The German club was interested, but a permanent deal did not happen.

Instead, Aston Villa moved for him.

BBC Sport reported that Villa’s deal was worth around £35 million, while other reports placed the figure closer to £37.5 million.

For Maatsen, it meant another new chapter.

This time, he would be staying in the Premier League.

Ian Maatsen Joins Aston Villa

Aston Villa officially signed Ian Maatsen from Chelsea on June 28, 2024.

The move made sense for both sides.

Villa had qualified for the Champions League and wanted players comfortable competing at a high European level.

Maatsen had just reached a Champions League final.

He was also young, quick and able to play in several roles on the left side.

The Premier League described him at the time as a left-back who could also operate in midfield.

Under Unai Emery, that flexibility became useful.

What Makes Ian Maatsen a Special Player?

Maatsen’s biggest strength may be the way he combines attacking football with defending.

He is quick enough to make runs down the left side.

He is comfortable receiving the ball.

He can move into midfield areas.

He can also push high up the pitch when his team attacks.

This gives a coach more choices.

Sometimes he can play like a normal full-back.

At other times, he can almost look like an extra midfielder or winger.

The Premier League noted when Villa signed him that his attacking style appeared well suited to Emery’s tactics, especially because Villa often ask their left-back to move into advanced areas.

In simple words, Maatsen does not like standing still.

He wants to be involved.

Ian Maatsen’s Aston Villa Career

Maatsen’s first Aston Villa season included Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League football.

During the 2024/25 Premier League season, he appeared 29 times and scored once. He also made 10 Champions League appearances and scored once in that competition.

Competition for the left-back position meant he did not start every match.

That is normal at a club playing in several competitions.

Aston Villa also had experienced French defender Lucas Digne available on the left side.

But Maatsen continued getting opportunities and building his place in the squad.

Ian Maatsen and the Netherlands National Team

Maatsen has represented the Netherlands from a young age.

He played at several youth levels before reaching the senior national team.

With the Netherlands Under-17 side, he made 18 appearances and scored three times. He was also involved with the Dutch Under-21 team for several years.

His senior breakthrough took longer.

Maatsen was included in Netherlands squads before finally making his senior debut against Spain on March 23, 2025.

What happened next made the night even more memorable.

He scored.

The match finished 3-3, giving Maatsen a goal in his first senior international appearance.

That is the kind of debut a player does not forget.

Was Ian Maatsen at Euro 2024?

Yes.

Maatsen was called into the Netherlands squad for UEFA Euro 2024 after Frenkie de Jong was ruled out through injury.

It was another exciting moment in a very busy period of his career.

He had just played in the Champions League final and was also preparing to leave Chelsea for Aston Villa.

Maatsen did not become a regular starter during the tournament, but simply being part of a major international competition was another step forward.

Aston Villa reported that he was an unused substitute when the Netherlands lost 2-1 to England in the semi-final.

Ian Maatsen’s Height

There are conflicting height figures across football databases.

The Premier League has previously listed Maatsen at 178 cm, while some statistics databases list him shorter.

Because official and third-party listings do not always agree, it is safer not to treat every height figure found online as perfectly certain.

What is clear is that Maatsen relies heavily on speed, movement and technique rather than simply physical size.

Does Ian Maatsen Have a Wife or Girlfriend?

Ian Maatsen keeps much of his private life away from the football headlines.

There is no need to guess about his relationships.

Unlike his club career, his personal romantic life has not been widely documented by strong, reliable public sources.

That means readers should be careful with social-media posts or websites claiming to know exactly who he is dating.

For now, Maatsen is much better known for what he does on the football pitch.

Ian Maatsen’s Family

Maatsen also appears to keep many family details private.

Public football profiles mainly focus on his career, clubs and international journey rather than giving detailed information about his parents or siblings.

That privacy is completely normal.

A footballer can be famous without every part of his family life becoming public.

What Is Ian Maatsen’s Net Worth?

There is no verified public figure for Ian Maatsen’s exact net worth.

You may see different numbers on celebrity wealth websites, but these estimates should not automatically be treated as facts.

Footballers can earn money through wages, bonuses and sponsorship agreements, but their exact personal finances are usually private.

What we do know is that Aston Villa spent a large amount to sign him from Chelsea.

Reports at the time valued the transfer at roughly £35 million to £37.5 million.

Remember, though, a transfer fee is not the player’s personal wealth.

The money is mainly paid from one club to another.

What Is Ian Maatsen Doing in 2026?

As of September 2026, Ian Maatsen remains an Aston Villa player.

He started Villa’s first two Premier League matches of the 2026/27 season and also played the full UEFA Super Cup match against Paris Saint-Germain in August.

There was transfer speculation around him near the end of the summer window, including reports connecting him with Manchester United.

However, he remained with Aston Villa after the window.

At 24, he is still young for a defender.

That means some of the most important years of his career could still be ahead of him.

Why Ian Maatsen’s Story Is Interesting

Maatsen’s journey is a good example of why a player’s career should not be judged too quickly.

He could not immediately become a Chelsea regular.

So he went to Charlton.

Then Coventry.

Then Burnley.

Then Borussia Dortmund.

Instead of disappearing, he kept improving.

Burnley gave him a championship-winning season.

Dortmund gave him a Champions League final.

Aston Villa gave him a permanent Premier League home.

And the Netherlands eventually gave him his senior international debut.

Football careers are not always straight lines.

Sometimes taking the longer road can still lead to the biggest stages.

Interesting Facts About Ian Maatsen

Maatsen was born on March 10, 2002, in Vlaardingen, Netherlands.

He developed at several major academies, including Feyenoord, PSV and Chelsea.

He helped Burnley win the Championship in the 2022/23 season.

He was selected in the Championship Team of the Season.

He reached the 2024 UEFA Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund.

He was named in the 2023/24 Champions League Team of the Season.

Aston Villa signed him permanently from Chelsea in June 2024.

He wears number 22 for Aston Villa.

He made his senior Netherlands debut against Spain in March 2025 and scored in the 3-3 draw.

Final Thoughts

Ian Maatsen’s career has already taken him through several different clubs, countries and competitions.

But what makes his story special is how patiently he built his way upward.

He did not become a star overnight.

Loans at Charlton, Coventry and Burnley helped him grow. Borussia Dortmund then gave him the chance to show his ability in the Champions League.

Today, he is an Aston Villa defender and a Netherlands international.

And because he is still only 24, there may be much more to come.

The next question is simple: how far can Ian Maatsen go?

FAQs About Ian Maatsen

Who is Ian Maatsen?

Ian Maatsen is a Dutch professional footballer who plays mainly as a left-back for Aston Villa.

How old is Ian Maatsen?

Ian Maatsen was born on March 10, 2002, making him 24 years old as of September 2026.

Where was Ian Maatsen born?

He was born in Vlaardingen, Netherlands.

Which club does Ian Maatsen play for?

He currently plays for Aston Villa in the English Premier League.

What number does Ian Maatsen wear?

He wears shirt number 22 for Aston Villa.

Did Ian Maatsen play for Chelsea?

Yes. Maatsen developed at Chelsea and made senior appearances before leaving permanently for Aston Villa in 2024.

Did Ian Maatsen play for Borussia Dortmund?

Yes. He joined Dortmund on loan in January 2024 and helped the club reach the Champions League final.

Did Ian Maatsen win the Championship?

Yes. He helped Burnley win the 2022/23 Championship title.

Does Ian Maatsen play for the Netherlands?

Yes. He made his senior Netherlands debut against Spain in March 2025 and scored in the match.

What position does Ian Maatsen play?

His main position is left-back, although he is versatile enough to move into more attacking or midfield areas.

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