Alexander Büttner (; born 11 February 1989) is a Dutch professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who plays as a
left-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categ ...
for club
Vitesse.
Club career
Vitesse
Born in
Doetinchem
Doetinchem (; Dutch Low Saxon, Low Saxon: ) is a city and Municipalities in the Netherlands, municipality in the east of the Netherlands. It is situated along the IJssel, Oude IJssel (Old IJssel) river in a part of the Provinces of the Netherland ...
, Büttner began his career with local club VV Doetinchem, but spent his formative years with
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
before joining
Vitesse at the age of 16 in 2005.
After progressing through the ranks at the youth system and reserves, Büttner made his professional debut for Vitesse on 15 March 2008 against
Twente
Twente ( , Tweants dialect: ''Tweante'') is a region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel. Twente is most likely named after the Tuihanti or Tvihanti, a Germanic people ...
after coming on as a substitute for
Haim Megrelashvili
Haim Megrelashvili (; born July 4, 1982, in Tirat Carmel) is a retired Israeli football defender. For the bulk of his career he played for Hapoel Haifa. He joined Maccabi Haifa in 2003 from cross-town rival Hapoel Haifa, and within a short time be ...
in the sixth minute following his poor performance. However, after coming on as a substitute for Megrelashvili, he played until he received a straight red card after a second bookable offence, in a 4–3 loss. This turned out to be his only appearance in the 2007–08 season.
In the 2008–09 season, Büttner then made his first start for the club, where he played the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against
Sparta Rotterdam
Sparta Rotterdam () is a Dutch professional football club based in Rotterdam. Established on 1 April 1888, Sparta Rotterdam is the oldest professional football team in the Netherlands.
Sparta currently competes in the Eredivisie, the top flig ...
on 20 September 2008. Having established himself in the starting eleven, Büttner then scored his first goal for the club in a 3–1 home win over
Volendam
Volendam () is a tourist town in the Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of Edam-Volendam, Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands, known for its streets, old fishing boats and the traditional clothing wor ...
on 20 December 2008. Although he appeared on the substitute bench as the season progressed, Büttner regained his first team place and went on to score two goals in two matches between 18 April 2009 and 26 April 2009 against
AZ and
Utrecht
Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...
. At the end of the season, Büttner went on to make twenty-three appearances and scoring three times in all competitions.
In the 2009–10 season, Büttner signed his contract and continued to be involved in the first team, competing with
Jeroen Drost
Jeroen Drost (born 21 January 1987) is a Dutch former professional footballer, who played as a left-back.
Club career
Drost began his career with DOS Kampen and later joined the youth of Go Ahead Eagles from Deventer. He played some years w ...
and
Gino Felixdaal
Gino Felixdaal (born 5 January 1990) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a centre-back.
Club career
He made his professional debut for Vitesse in a 14 April 2010 Eredivisie match against NAC. He joined Eerste Divisie side ...
over the left-back position, although he spent time the first half of the season, coming on as a substitute. Büttner soon managed his left-back position in the first team and went on to score two goals later in the season against
Groningen
Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...
and
Roda JC
Sportvereniging Roda Juliana Combinatie Kerkrade (; ), shortly as Roda JC Kerkrade () or commonly Roda JC or simply Roda, is a Dutch professional football club based in Kerkrade, Netherlands. Roda JC Kerkrade plays in the Eerste Divisie. The c ...
. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Büttner made twenty-nine appearances and scored two times in all competitions.
In the 2010–11 season, Büttner fully established himself as a left back in the first team. His performance soon attracted interests clubs around Europe from Polish clubs
Legia Warsaw
Legia Warszawa (), commonly referred to as Legia Warsaw or simply Legia, is a professional football club based in Warsaw, Poland. Legia is the most successful Polish football club in history, winning a record 15 champions titles, a record 2 ...
and
Lech Poznań
Kolejowy Klub Sportowy Lech Poznań S.A., commonly referred to as KKS Lech Poznań or simply Lech Poznań (), is a Polish professional football club based in Poznań and currently competing in the Ekstraklasa, the nation's highest division.
...
, but the transfer move never happened and because of this, he appeared on the substitute bench since the end of January, as well as, his own injury concerns. He managed to regain his first team place after the failed transfer move and went on to make twenty-five appearances in all competitions. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, the club opened negotiations with Büttner over a new contract. Eventually, Büttner signed a contract extension, keeping him until 2011.
In the 2011–12 season, Büttner started the season well when he set up two goals, in a 2–1 win over Utrecht on 20 August 2011, followed up by scoring his first goal of the season, in a 4–1 loss against
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* Ajax (play), ''Ajax'' (play), by the an ...
. Three weeks later, on 17 September 2011, Büttner scored his second goal of the season, in a 5–0 win over Roda JC. Throughout the season, he continued to be in a regular first team, playing either left-back and left-midfielder. Because of this, his performance further attracted interests from clubs, such as, Arizona and
Twente
Twente ( , Tweants dialect: ''Tweante'') is a region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel. Twente is most likely named after the Tuihanti or Tvihanti, a Germanic people ...
. It wasn't until on 12 April 2012 when he scored his third goal of the season, in a 3–1 win over
VVV-Venlo
VVV-Venlo (, ''VVV'' stands for ''Venlose Voetbal Vereniging'' meaning "Venlo Football Club") is a Dutch association football, football club from Venlo, a city on the border with Germany. They play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutc ...
. On 28 April 2012, Büttner scored a brace, in a 3–2 win over
Excelsior
Excelsior may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Literature and poetry
* "Excelsior" (Longfellow), an 1841 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
* "Excelsior", an 1877 picture book in verse by Bret Harte, published as an advertisement for the Sa ...
. Although he suffered a toe injury in the next game, Büttner returned to the next game from injury in the last game of the season, in a 3–1 loss against Ajax. At the end of the season, Büttner went on to make thirty-nine appearances and scoring five times in all competitions. For his performance, Büttner was voted by the fans as Vitesse player of the year.
On 6 July 2012, Vitesse agreed a fee with
Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
over the transfer of Büttner to the English club, subject to a medical. The proposed move to Southampton was subsequently halted "due to an unspecified 'demand' from an unnamed third party"; this was believed to be a claim for a percentage of the transfer fee.
Manchester United
On 21 August 2012, Büttner signed a five-year contract with
Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
, where he was given the number 28 shirt.
Büttner made his league debut on 15 September, setting up the second goal and scoring the third, in a 4–0 home win against
Wigan Athletic
Wigan Athletic Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England. The team competes in the EFL League One, the third level of the English football league system.
Founded in 1932, they have p ...
. His performance gained him the
man of the match
In team sport, a player of the match award (also known as man of the match or woman of the match) is often given to the most outstanding player in a particular match. This can be a player from either team, although the player is generally chose ...
award. On 23 October, he made his UEFA club competition debut in a 3–2 home victory over
Braga
Braga (; ) is a cities of Portugal, city and a Municipalities of Portugal, municipality, capital of the northwestern Portugal, Portuguese Braga (district), district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality ...
in the
group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
of the
2012–13 UEFA Champions League
The 2012–13 UEFA Champions League was the 58th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 21st season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.
The final was p ...
. On 5 January, Büttner made his
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual Single-elimination tournament, knockout association football, football competition in domestic Football in England, English football. First played during ...
debut in a 2–2 draw against
West Ham United
West Ham United Football Club is a professional Association football, football club based in Stratford, London, Stratford, East London, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football league system, English f ...
. United went on to win the
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
and Büttner received a winner's medal by a special dispensation given by the manager. He scored his second goal for Manchester United on the final day of the season in a dramatic 5–5 draw against
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club (), commonly known as West Brom or The Albion, is a professional association football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the Englis ...
. After collecting a pass from
Tom Cleverley
Thomas William Cleverley (born 12 August 1989) is an English professional Association football, football coach and former Football player, player who played as a midfielder. Cleverly is currently the head coach of club Plymouth Argyle F.C., Ply ...
in the inside left channel, he drove into the penalty area and fired a low shot into the far corner. Büttner said he credited his girlfriend and brother with helping him overcome homesickness.
In the 2013–14 season, Büttner struggled to regain his first-team place in his second season at the club, as
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
international
Patrice Evra
Patrice Latyr Evra (; born 15 May 1981) is a French former professional footballer. Originally a forward, he primarily played as a left-back. Evra served as captain for both Manchester United and the France national team. He was named in the P ...
was preferred at left-back under the management of
David Moyes
David William Moyes (born 25 April 1963) is a Scottish professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Association football, player, who currently manages Premier League club Everton F.C., Everton. He was the 2003, 200 ...
. In the summer transfer window, he was expected to leave the club on loan to
Beşiktaş
Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km2 and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and ...
, but Moyes blocked the move from happening. Büttner then made his first appearance of the season on 25 September 2013, playing at left-back in a 1–0 win over
Liverpool
Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...
in the second round of League Cup. It wasn't until late-March when Büttner had a handful of first team appearances following Evra's injury. Büttner's performance even earned praises from Evra. By the end of the 2013–14 season, Büttner had made 15 appearances for the club in all competitions.
Dynamo Moscow
On 24 June 2014, citing a lack of playing time and a personal rift between himself and United coach
Louis van Gaal
Aloysius Paulus Maria "Louis" van Gaal (; born 8 August 1951) is a Dutch former association football, football player and former manager who currently serves as an advisor for AFC Ajax, Ajax. At club level, he served as manager of AFC Ajax, Aj ...
, Büttner announced that he was leaving Manchester United for
Dynamo Moscow
MGO VFSO "Dynamo" (), commonly known as Dynamo Moscow (), is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. Founded by Felix Dzerzhinsky on 18 April 1923, Dynamo Moscow was the first institution created from the All-Union Dynamo Sports Club.
Dynamo Mosco ...
, on a three-year deal for £4.4 million potentially rising to £5.6 million.
Büttner made his Dynamo Moscow debut, where he made his first start for the club, in a 1–1 draw against
Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona in the first leg of the third round of the UEFA Europa League and went through to next round after winning 2–1 on aggregate in the second leg. Days later, he made his league debut for the club, in the opening game of the season, in a 7–3 win over
Rostov
Rostov-on-Don is a port city and the administrative centre of Rostov Oblast and the Southern Federal District of Russia. It lies in the southeastern part of the East European Plain on the Don River, from the Sea of Azov, directly north of t ...
. Weeks later on 21 August 2014, he scored his first goal for Dynamo Moscow in a 2–2 draw against Cypriot club
Omonia in the Europa League. Büttner, however, was sent-off in the UEFA Europa League match against Anderlecht after receiving a second bookable offence, in a 0–0 draw. Later in the season, he received a red card again for a second time this season on 24 May 2015, in a 2–2 draw against
Arsenal Tula
FC Arsenal Tula () is a Russian professional football club from Tula playing in the second-tier Russian First League.
Originally founded in 1923, FC Arsenal Tula was promoted to the Russian Premier League in 2014 for the first time in its histo ...
. In his first season at the club, Büttner made thirty-one (19 in the league) and scoring once in all competitions.
In his second season at Dynamo Moscow, however, Büttner suffered an injury at the start of the season. He then made his return to the first team from injury, in a 1–1 draw against
Lokomotiv Moscow
FC Lokomotiv Moscow (, ) is a Russian professional association football, football club based in Moscow. Lokomotiv have won the Russian Premier League on three occasions; the Soviet Cup twice; and the Russian Cup (football), Russian Cup a record ...
. However, this turns out to be his only appearance, as he suffered injuries by the first half of the season.
Following his loan spell at Anderlecht came to an end, Büttner expressed desire to leave the club in the summer transfer window, with clubs around Europe keen on signing him, but stayed at the club throughout the summer. Despite this, he returned to the first team and was given a number twenty-four shirt. Büttner made his first appearance for the club in a year on 12 October 2016, where he played the whole game, in a 0–0 draw against
Khimki
Khimki (, ) is a city in Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located approximately northwest from central Moscow, and is part of the Moscow metropolitan area.
History Origins and formation
Khimki was initially a railway station that had existed sin ...
. In December 2016, with four appearances this season, Büttner was released by the club, in the wake of the club's financial difficulties. After leaving the club, Büttner reflected his time at the club, stating that he enjoyed his first season at the club, but became disillusioned in his latter career there, citing the departure of the club's president,
Boris Romanovich Rotenberg
Boris Romanovich Rotenberg (; born 3 January 1957) is a Russian businessman and oligarch. He is co-owner (with his brother Arkady Rotenberg) of the SGM (StroyGazMontazh) group, the largest construction company for gas pipelines and electrical ...
, and players subsequently left the club as a result.
Loan to Anderlecht
On 1 February 2016, he agreed to join Belgian side
Anderlecht
Anderlecht (; ) is one of the List of municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, B ...
on loan until the end of 2015/16 season. It came after when his agent hinted his departure from Dynamo Moscow in the January transfer window.
On 5 February 2016, Büttner made his Anderlecht debut in a 2–2 draw with
KV Mechelen
Yellow Red Koninklijke Voetbalclub Mechelen (), often called KV Mechelen (, KVM) or simply by their former French name Malinois /ˌmalɪˈnwɑː/, is a Belgian professional association football, football club based in Mechelen in the Antwerp (pr ...
, featuring for the entire 90 minutes. A week later, Büttner went onto score his first goal for Anderlecht, netting the second in the Belgian side's 3–0 victory over
Zulte Waregem. In a match against
Kortrijk
Kortrijk ( , ; or ''Kortrik''; ), sometimes known in English as Courtrai or Courtray ( ), is a Belgian City status in Belgium, city and Municipalities in Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region, Flemish Provinces of Belgium, province of We ...
on 13 March 2016, Büttner set up two goals, in a 3–0 win. Later in the 2015–16 season, Büttner became a first team regular at the club, but was unsuccessful to win the league, as they finished second place. At the end of the 2015–16 season, making 16 appearances and scoring once in all competitions, Büttner returned to his parent club after Anderlecht decided against signing him on a permanent basis.
Return to Vitesse
On 16 January 2017, Büttner returned to
Vitesse, signing a 2.5-year contract with the club. Upon re-joining the club, he was a replacement for
Kosuke Ota
is a Japanese former football player who play as Defender.
Club career
Ota began his footballing career with Yokohama FC in 2006, before a move to J1 League side Shimizu S-Pulse in 2009. 85 league appearances and two goals later, Ota joined FC ...
, who returned to
FC Tokyo
, commonly known as , is a Japanese professional football club based in Chōfu, Tokyo. The club plays in the J1 League, the top tier of football in the country.
From 2025, FC Tokyo is one of the few J.League clubs to be simply called ''Footb ...
.
Büttner made his second Vitesse debut on 19 February 2017, where he came on as a second-half substitute, in a 1–0 loss against Ajax.
He left Vitesse in July 2019 upon the expiration of his contract.
New England Revolution
On 1 November 2019, Büttner joined
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
side
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the Greater Boston area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. It is on ...
for the 2020 season. On 20 January 2021, New England and Büttner mutually agreed to terminate his contract.
RKC Waalwijk
In July 2021, Büttner joined
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; "Honour Division" or "Premier Division") is a professional association football league in the Netherlands and the highest level of the Dutch football league system. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start o ...
side
RKC Waalwijk
RKC Waalwijk () is a Dutch professional association football, football club based in Waalwijk. They currently play in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of Dutch football league system, Dutch football, following relegation from the Eredivisie i ...
for the 2021–22 season.
De Graafschap
On 28 April 2022,
De Graafschap
Vereniging Betaald Voetbal De Graafschap, simply known as De Graafschap () is a professional association football club based in Doetinchem, Netherlands. The team competes in the , the second level of the Dutch football league system.
Founded o ...
signed Büttner to a three-year deal.
Second return to Vitesse
On 7 August 2024, Büttner returned to
Vitesse once more, with a two-year contract.
International career
Büttner has represented the Netherlands at under-20 and
under-21 levels.
On 7 May 2012, Büttner was named in the provisional list of 36 players for the
UEFA Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th UEFA European Championship, European Championship for List of men's national association football teams#UEFA (Europe), men's ...
tournament, one of nine uncapped players to be chosen by
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
manager
Bert van Marwijk
Lambertus van Marwijk (; born 19 May 1952) is a Dutch Association football, football manager who is a member of the supervisory board for MVV Maastricht. As a player, he played for the Go Ahead Eagles, AZ Alkmaar, AZ, MVV Maastricht, MVV and For ...
as part of the preliminary squad. However, Büttner was among seven players to be cut from the squad after van Marwijk reduced his squad to 27 players on 15 May 2012. Two years after being cut from the squad, Büttner expressed hope he would be called up by the national team one day, but this never happened.
Personal life
Born in
Doetinchem
Doetinchem (; Dutch Low Saxon, Low Saxon: ) is a city and Municipalities in the Netherlands, municipality in the east of the Netherlands. It is situated along the IJssel, Oude IJssel (Old IJssel) river in a part of the Provinces of the Netherland ...
, Netherlands, Büttner grew up in a football-loving family. Like Büttner himself, his two brothers and father are also footballers.
Growing up, Büttner revealed that his father was very strict on him. He is the cousin of fellow footballer
Giovanni Büttner
Giovanni Büttner (born 22 September 1998) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or left winger. He is the cousin of fellow footballer Alexander Büttner.
Career
Born in Doetinchem, Büttner played for DZC '68 ...
.
Career statistics
Honours
Manchester United
*
Premier League
The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football Lea ...
:
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
Vitesse
*
KNVB Cup
The KNVB Beker (; ), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organised by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside the N ...
:
2016–17
Individual
*
Eerste Divisie Team of the Year:
2022–23
The dash is a punctuation mark consisting of a long horizontal line. It is similar in appearance to the hyphen but is longer and sometimes higher from the baseline. The most common versions are the endash , generally longer than the hyphen ...
References
Notes
External links
*
*
*
Netherlands youth statsat OnsOranje
{{DEFAULTSORT:Buttner, Alexander
1989 births
Living people
Footballers from Doetinchem
Dutch people of German descent
Men's association football fullbacks
Men's association football midfielders
Dutch men's footballers
Netherlands men's youth international footballers
21st-century Dutch sportsmen
Netherlands men's under-21 international footballers
SBV Vitesse players
Manchester United F.C. players
FC Dynamo Moscow players
R.S.C. Anderlecht players
New England Revolution players
RKC Waalwijk players
De Graafschap players
Eredivisie players
Premier League players
Russian Premier League players
Belgian Pro League players
Major League Soccer players
Expatriate men's footballers in England
Expatriate men's footballers in Russia
Expatriate men's footballers in Belgium
Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
Dutch expatriate sportspeople in England
Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Russia
Dutch expatriate sportspeople in the United States