{{Short description|St. Maartener footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Djai Essed | image = | caption = | fullname = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1998|4|25}} | birth_place = [[Amsterdam]], Netherlands | height = {{height|ft=6|in=2}} | position = [[Defender (association football)#Centre-back|Centre-back]], [[Forward (association football)|Forward]] | currentclub = Real Sranang | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = MPC Stars FC | youthyears2 = | youthclubs2 = RISC Takers FC | collegeyears1= 2016 | college1=[[Feather River College|Feather River Golden Eagles]] | collegecaps1= 14 | collegegoals1= 3 | collegeyears2= 2017 | college2=[[Northeastern Junior College|Northeastern Plainsmen]] | collegecaps2= 0 | collegegoals2= 0 | years1 = 2015– | clubs1 = [[Flames United SC]] | caps1 = | goals1 = | nationalyears1 = 2016– | nationalteam1 = [[Sint Maarten national football team|Sint Maarten]] | nationalcaps1 = 7 | nationalgoals1 = 1 | club-update = 22:02, 25 May 2016 (UTC) | nationalteam-update = 00:50, 28 March 2019 (UTC) }}

'''Djai Essed''' (born 25 April 1998) is a [[Sint Maarten|St. Maartener]] footballer who plays for the [[Sint Maarten national football team|Sint Maarten national team]].<ref name="FRC Profile">{{cite web|title=FRC Profile|url=http://athletics.frc.edu/roster.aspx?rp_id=1465&path=msoc|publisher=Feather River College Athletics|accessdate=11 August 2016}}</ref>

==Youth career== In 2009, Essed played in the School Division of the St. Maarten Soccer Educational Foundation (SMSEF) for Sister Magda '98. That year, the team defeated the Caribbean International Academy to win the top division championship. That season, Essed was the top division's top scorer with 11 goals.<ref name="Champions Crowned">{{cite web|title=Primary and Secondary Schools Champions Crowned|url=http://www.thedailyherald.info/subscribers/clients-files/2009/06-Jun-09/jun-08-09.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401005422/http://www.thedailyherald.info/subscribers/clients-files/2009/06-Jun-09/jun-08-09.pdf|url-status=usurped|archive-date=1 April 2016|publisher=The Daily Herald|accessdate=20 March 2016}}</ref> Essed played for MPC Stars FC of the SMSEF youth league while attending Milton Peters College. In 2011, he attended training in the Netherlands organized by [[AFC Ajax]] while in 2014 he took part in a training camp on Sint Maarten held by the [[New York Red Bulls]] of [[Major League Soccer]].<ref name="Red Bull training">{{cite web|title=Young footballers ready for Red Bull training|url=http://www.thedailyherald.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47879:young-footballers-ready-for-red-bull-training&catid=10:local-sports&Itemid=21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401045023/http://www.thedailyherald.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=47879:young-footballers-ready-for-red-bull-training&catid=10:local-sports&Itemid=21|url-status=usurped|archive-date=1 April 2016|publisher=The Daily Herald|accessdate=20 March 2016}}</ref> For his performances at the Red Bull camp, he was awarded the event's Excellence Award.<ref name="RECRUITING PROFILE">{{cite web|title=DJAI ESSED ‘16 RECRUITING PROFILE|url=http://www.ncsasports.org/mens-soccer-recruiting/international/philipsburg/milton-peters-college/djai-essed|publisher=NCSA Sports|accessdate=20 March 2016}}</ref>

In 2016, Essed took part in the 2016 West Virginia Tri-State Elite College Combine in hopes of securing a spot to play [[College soccer in the United States|college soccer]] in the [[United States]].<ref name="RECRUITING PROFILE"/> In 2016, he decided to join the [[Feather River College|Golden Eagles of Feather River College]] in [[Quincy, California]].<ref name="FRC Recruiting Profile">{{cite web|title=FRC Recruiting Profile|url=http://www.ncsasports.org/athletic-scholarships/mens-soccer/california/feather-river-college|publisher=NCSA|accessdate=31 July 2016}}</ref> During the season, he scored three goals in fourteen matches.<ref name="CCCAA Profile">{{cite web|title=CCCAA Profile|url=http://cccaastats.org/sports/msoc/2016-17/players/djaiessed0h6k?view=profile|publisher=CCCAA|accessdate=20 November 2017}}</ref> After one season with the team, Essed transferred to [[Northeastern Junior College]] in [[Sterling, Colorado]].<ref name="Plethora of Players">{{cite web|title=Men's Soccer Signs Plethora of Players|url=http://www.gonjc.com/sports/msoc/2017-18/releases/20170627mjn8bm|publisher=Northeastern Junior College Athletics|accessdate=19 November 2017}}</ref> Despite being announced as a transfer student, he never appeared on the team's roster.<ref name="2017-18 Northeastern">{{cite web|title=2017–18 Northeastern Men's Soccer Roster|url=http://www.gonjc.com/sports/msoc/2017-18/roster|publisher=Northeastern Athletics|accessdate=20 December 2017}}</ref> By 2018 he was no longer playing college soccer in the United States and had begun studying in [[Amsterdam]].<ref name="Caribbean 2">{{cite web |last1=Hoenig |first1=Leo |title=Caribbean 2 – Sint Maarten in Anguilla |url=http://leohoenig.com/?p=1695 |publisher=leohoenig.com |access-date=10 November 2021}}</ref> During this time he also worked as a youth coach at Dutch club [[WV-HEDW]].<ref name="WV-HEDW">{{cite web |last1=Vreeken |first1=Detlev |title=WV-HEDW |url=https://twitter.com/DetlevVreeken/status/1067783365439426560 |publisher=Twitter |access-date=10 November 2021}}</ref>

==Club career== Essed played for RISC Takers FC of the [[Sint Maarten Soccer Association|SMSA]] Senior League until 2014.<ref name="Red Bull training"/> By age 15, he was a starter for [[Flames United SC]].<ref name="RECRUITING PROFILE"/> In Summer 2014 at age 16 he was invited to train with [[FC Dordrecht]] who were at the time in the [[Eredivisie]], the top level of [[football in the Netherlands]].<ref name="Red Bull training"/> He has also had a trial with [[Netherlands|Dutch]] powerhouse [[AFC Ajax]].<ref name="Plethora of Players"/>

In December 2017 it was announced that Essed would take part in the [[MLS Caribbean Combine]] The following month. The combine was organized by [[Major League Soccer]] to scout players from the Caribbean region with the potential to sign them to MLS or [[United Soccer League]] contracts.<ref name="2018 Caribbean Combine">{{cite web|last1=Stejskal|first1=Sam|title=MLS invites 22 players to 2018 Caribbean Combine|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/12/18/mls-invites-22-players-2018-caribbean-combine|publisher=Major League Soccer|accessdate=20 December 2017}}</ref>

==International career== Essed first represented Sint Maarten in the [[2013 CONCACAF Under-15 Championship]] held in the [[Cayman Islands]]. It was at that tournament that his primary position became [[Defender (association football)#Centre-back|centre-back]].<ref name="RECRUITING PROFILE"/>

Essed made his senior international debut for Sint Maarten in a [[exhibition match|friendly]] against [[Anguilla national football team|Anguilla]] on 13 March 2016 at age 17.<ref name="CFD profile">{{cite web|title=CFD profile|url=http://www.caribbeanfootballdatabase.com/sintmaarten/players/djaiessed.html|publisher=Caribbean Football Database|accessdate=20 March 2016|archive-date=31 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331045055/http://www.caribbeanfootballdatabase.com/sintmaarten/players/djaiessed.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> He started the match and played the full 90 minutes.<ref name="Sint Maarten vs. Anguilla">{{cite web|title=Sint Maarten vs. Anguilla|url=http://www.caribbeanfootballdatabase.com/matches/2016/sintmaartenvsanguilla3132016.html|publisher=Caribbean Football Database|accessdate=20 March 2016}}</ref> The match was Sint Maarten's first senior international in 12 years and was played in preparation for each side's [[2017 Caribbean Cup qualification]] campaigns which were set to begin the following week.<ref name="win friendlies">{{cite web|title=Sint Maarten and Martinique win friendlies|url=http://cfufootball.org/index.php/caribbean-cup/9795-sint-maarten-and-martinique-win-friendlies|publisher=Caribbean Football Union|accessdate=14 March 2016}}</ref> He played in both of Sint Maarten's Caribbean Cup qualifiers, Sint Maarten's first competitive matches in 19 years.<ref name="more football pitches">{{cite web|title=Sint Maarten FA President Sudesh Singh: ‘We need more football pitches’|url=http://www.cfufootball.org/index.php/caribbean-cup/9894-sint-maarten-fa-president-sudesh-singh-we-need-more-football-pitches|publisher=Caribbean Football Union|accessdate=23 January 2017}}</ref> In 2016, he was also called up to be part of Sint Maarten's U20 squad<ref name="RECRUITING PROFILE"/> and was called up again in June for [[2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship qualifying]] as Sint Maarten hosted their group.<ref name="U20 Championship">{{cite web|title=U20 Championship Squad|url=https://www.facebook.com/St.MaartenSoccer/photos/a.412477108962664.1073741829.411309485746093/518445908365783/?type=3&theater|publisher=Sint Maarten Soccer Association|accessdate=15 June 2016}}</ref> The team suffered three defeats in the opening round of the tournament and were eliminated.<ref name="Antigua and Cuba advance">{{cite web|title=Antigua and Cuba advance in CFC U20 Qualifier|url=https://www.thedailyherald.sx/sports/local-sports/58223-antigua-and-cuba-advance-in-cfc-u20-qualifier|publisher=The Daily Herald|accessdate=31 July 2016}}</ref> Essed served as captain of the team for the tournament.<ref name="U20 coach upbeat">{{cite web|title=U20 coach upbeat about St. Maarten chances in Caribbean Football tourney|url=https://www.thedailyherald.sx/sports/local-sports/58087-u20-coach-upbeat-about-st-maarten-chances-in-caribbean-football-tourney|publisher=The Daily Herald|accessdate=31 July 2016}}</ref>

===International career statistics=== {{updated|match played 24 March 2019.}}<ref name="CFD profile"/> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan=3 | [[Sint Maarten national football team|Sint Maarten national team]] |- !Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |2016||3||0 |- |2017||0||0 |- |2018||2||0 |- |2019||2||1 |- !Total||7||1 |}

===International goals=== :''Scores and results list Sint Maarten's goal tally first.'' {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%" |- ! No. !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition |- |1. ||23 February 2019|| [[Raoul Illidge Sports Complex]], [[Philipsburg, Sint Maarten|Philipsburg]], [[Sint Maarten]] || {{fb|Saint Barthélemy|local}} ||align=center| '''1'''–0 || style="text-align:center;" | 1–1 || [[exhibition match|Friendly]] |}

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://athletics.frc.edu/roster.aspx?rp_id=1465&path=msoc Feather River College profile] * [http://www.caribbeanfootballdatabase.com/sintmaarten/players/djaiessed.html Caribbean Football Database profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331045055/http://www.caribbeanfootballdatabase.com/sintmaarten/players/djaiessed.html |date=2016-03-31 }} * [http://www.ncsasports.org/mens-soccer-recruiting/international/philipsburg/milton-peters-college/djai-essed NCSA profile] * {{NFT|63337<!-- /Djai_Essed -->}} * [http://cccaastats.org/sports/msoc/2016-17/players/djaiessed0h6k?view=profile CCAA profile]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Essed, Djai}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1998 births]] [[Category:Men's association football defenders]] [[Category:Sint Maarten men's international footballers]] [[Category:Sint Maarten men's footballers]] [[Category:Dutch men's footballers]] [[Category:Dutch Antillean men's footballers]] [[Category:Footballers from Amsterdam]] [[Category:Feather River College alumni]] [[Category:21st-century Dutch sportsmen]]