About Dries Mertens
Dries Mertens (Dutch pronunciation: [dris ˈmɛrtəns]; born 6 May 1987) is a Belgian former professional footballer who played either as a attacking-midfielder or winger. He is nicknamed "Ciro". As a youth, Mertens played for Stade Leuven, Anderlecht, and Gent, and made his debut on loan to Eendracht Aalst in the Belgian Third Division. In 2006, he moved to Dutch Eerste Divisie club AGOVV Apeldoorn, where he spent three years before moving to Utrecht of the Eredivisie. Two years later, Mertens transferred to PSV Eindhoven and won the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield in 2012. In 2013, Mertens signed for Napoli and went on to make nearly 400 appearances for the club. He won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in 2014, and was named in the Serie A Team of the Year during the 2016–17 season. In 2020, Mertens scored his 122nd goal for Napoli, surpassing Marek Hamšík as the club's all-time top goalscorer. In 2022, he joined Turkish side Galatasaray, and won three consecutive Süper Lig titles. Mertens made his Belgium debut in 2011, and made over 100 appearances for the national team. He was part of the nation's squads at the FIFA World Cup in 2014, 2018, and 2022, and the UEFA European Championship in 2016 and 2020, helping them to a third-place finish at the 2018 tournament. In 2016, he was named Belgian Footballer of the Year. Two years later, Mertens and teammate Kevin Strootman were transferred to PSV Eindhoven for a combined fee of €13 million, and won the KNVB Cup and Johan Cruyff Shield in 2012. Mertens excelled in his new role and contributed a further 13 goals for the season which contributed to him being awarded the Golden Bull award for the most talented player in the Eerste Divisie. It was here that the scouts of Anderlecht first spotted Mertens, ultimately resulting in him being offered a chance to join the club's youth academy in 1998.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.