{{short description|Dutch footballer (born 1993)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}} {{Infobox football biography |name = Mark Flekken |image = Flekken, Mark Greuther Fürth 15-16 WP (cropped).jpg |caption = Flekken with Greuther Fürth in 2015 |full_name = Mark Flekken<ref name="DFL">{{cite web |url=https://www.bundesliga.com/en/2bundesliga/player/mark-flekken |title=Mark Flekken |publisher=DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga |access-date=26 June 2023}}</ref> |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|6|13|df=y}}<ref name="DFL"/> |birth_place = Kerkrade, Netherlands |height = 1.94 m<ref name="DFL"/> |currentclub = Bayer Leverkusen |clubnumber = 1 |position = Goalkeeper |youthyears1 = |youthclubs1 = WDZ |youthyears2 = {{0|0000}}–2009 |youthclubs2 = Roda JC |youthyears3 = 2009–2012 |youthclubs3 = Alemannia Aachen |years1 = 2012–2013 |clubs1 = Alemannia Aachen |caps1 = 15 |goals1 = 0 |years2 = 2013–2016 |clubs2 = Greuther Fürth |caps2 = 25 |goals2 = 0 |years3 = 2013–2016 |clubs3 = Greuther Fürth II |caps3 = 3 |goals3 = 0 |years4 = 2016–2018 |clubs4 = MSV Duisburg |caps4 = 68 |goals4 = 1 |years5 = 2018–2023 |clubs5 = SC Freiburg |caps5 = 80 |goals5 = 0 |years6 = 2021 |clubs6 = SC Freiburg II |caps6 = 3 |goals6 = 0 |years7 = 2023–2025 |clubs7 = Brentford |caps7 = 74 |goals7 = 0 |years8 = 2025– |clubs8 = Bayer Leverkusen |caps8 = 24 |goals8 = 0 |nationalyears1 = 2022– |nationalteam1 = Netherlands |nationalcaps1 = 11 |nationalgoals1 = 0 |pcupdate = 18 May 2026 |ntupdate = 31 March 2026 |medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's football}} {{Medal|Country|{{fb|NED}}}} {{Medal|Comp|UEFA European Championship}} {{Medal|Bronze|2024 Germany|Team}} }}
'''Mark Flekken''' (born 13 June 1993) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for {{German football updater|BaLeverk}} club Bayer Leverkusen and the Netherlands national team.
==Early years== Flekken grew up in Bocholtz, Limburg, Netherlands on the German border.<ref name="aachen">{{cite news |title=Aachen: Mark Flekken: Jüngste Nummer 1 in Alemannias Historie |url=https://www.aachener-zeitung.de/sport/mark-flekken-juengste-nummer-1-in-alemannias-historie_aid-26166797 |work=Aachener Zeitung |date=11 January 2013 |language=de}}</ref> His parents René and Annie used to play football themselves, and his younger brother Roy also became a goalkeeper.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Weigend |first1=David |title=SC-Freiburg-Torhüter Mark Flekken: Ich gehe auch mal gern ins Risiko |url=https://www.badische-zeitung.de/sport/scfreiburg/sc-freiburg-torhueter-mark-flekken-ich-gehe-auch-mal-gern-ins-risiko |work=Badische Zeitung |date=24 August 2020 |language=de}}</ref>
==Club career== ===Alemannia Aachen and Greuther Fürth=== Flekken started his career in the youth department of RKVV WDZ from Bocholtz before moving to the youth academy of Roda JC Kerkrade. In 2009, he moved across the border to the youth teams of the then 2. Bundesliga club Alemannia Aachen. On 22 September 2011, he signed his first professional contract.<ref>{{cite web |title=Nachwuchs: Alemannia Aachen bindet Mark Flekken |url=http://www.alemannia-aachen.de/nachwuchs/nachrichten/details/Nachwuchs-Alemannia-bindet-Mark-Flekken-21000a/ |website=Alemannia Aachen |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924131002/http://www.alemannia-aachen.de/nachwuchs/nachrichten/details/Nachwuchs-Alemannia-bindet-Mark-Flekken-21000a/ |archive-date=24 September 2011 |language=de |date=22 September 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
During the winter break of the 2012–13 3. Liga season, Flekken was appointed as the starting goalkeeper by coach René van Eck after the financially troubled club had parted ways with Michael Melka.<ref>{{cite news |title=Aachen: Van Ecks nächste Stellschraube heißt Michael Melka |url=https://www.aachener-nachrichten.de/sport/fussball/bundesliga/van-ecks-naechste-stellschraube-heisst-michael-melka_aid-26680333 |work=Aachener Nachrichten |date=28 September 2012 |language=de}}</ref><ref name="aachen" /> Flekken made his debut on 26 January 2013 in a 2–0 home game against 1. FC Saarbrücken.<ref>{{cite web |title=Alemannia Aachen vs. Saarbrücken – 26 January 2013 – Soccerway |url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2013/01/26/germany/3-liga/alemannia-aachen/1-fc-saarbrucken-ev/1306858/ |website=Soccerway |publisher=Perform Group |access-date=23 March 2022}}</ref>
Ahead of the 2013–14 season, Flekken moved to the 2. Bundesliga club SpVgg Greuther Fürth.<ref>{{cite web |title=Grün geht - Flekken kommt |url=http://www.greuther-fuerth.de/aktuell/aktuelle-news/news-detail/article/gruen-geht-flekken-kommt.html |website=SpVgg Greuther Fürth |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607202950/http://www.greuther-fuerth.de/aktuell/aktuelle-news/news-detail/article/gruen-geht-flekken-kommt.html |archive-date=7 June 2013 |language=de |date=31 May 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> There, he only made three league appearances in three years as a backup goalkeeper behind Wolfgang Hesl and Sebastian Mielitz.<ref name="DFL" />
===MSV Duisburg=== Flekken signed for MSV Duisburg on 12 June 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://msv-duisburg.de/main.asp?reiter=aktuelles_p&bgi=yes&mode=aktuell&aid=7311|title=MSV holt Keeper Mark Flekken: Ehrgeizig, jung und hungrig!|date=12 June 2016|work=msv-duisburg.de|access-date=14 June 2016|archive-date=17 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617091437/http://msv-duisburg.de/main.asp?reiter=aktuelles_p&bgi=yes&mode=aktuell&aid=7311|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 7 August 2016, he scored a goal, after a corner, in a 1–1 draw against VfL Osnabrück, when he went to the opposite box during the last minute.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rp-online.de/sport/fussball/dritteliga/msv-duisburg-torwart-mark-flekken-trifft-fuer-zebras-zum-11-aid-1.6168291|title=Torwart Flekken trifft für "Zebras" zum 1:1|date=7 August 2016|work=rp-online.de}}</ref> In February 2018, Flekken conceded a goal in a 2. Bundesliga match against FC Ingolstadt, when he turned his back on the play to take a drink from his water bottle.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/av/football/43187129|title=Keeper turns back on play to concede bizarre goal|work=BBC Sport|publisher=BBC|date=26 February 2018|access-date=26 February 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=Drinking Goalie - Funniest Goalkeeper Fail Ever?|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GMig6o3bMs|language=en|access-date=26 May 2021}}</ref>
===SC Freiburg=== Flekken joined SC Freiburg for the 2018–19 season.<ref>{{cite press release|url=https://www.scfreiburg.com/news/mark-flekken-kommt-zum-sport-club|title= Mark Flekken kommt zum Sport-Club|publisher=SC Freiburg|date=14 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180515015349/https://www.scfreiburg.com/news/mark-flekken-kommt-zum-sport-club|archive-date=15 May 2018}}</ref> A backup to Alexander Schwolow throughout the season, he made his debut in the final matchday of the 2018–19 season against 1. FC Nürnberg.<ref>{{cite news|title=5:1 - Freiburg feiert furiosen Saisonabschluss |url=https://www.kicker.de/freiburg-gegen-nuernberg-2019-bundesliga-4243567/analyse |work=kicker |date=18 May 2019 |language=de-DE}}</ref> After Schwolow's departure before the start of the 2020–21 season, he was appointed the new starter, but shortly after he suffered a complicated elbow injury while warming up for the DFB-Pokal match against SV Waldhof Mannheim which sidelined him for the entire season.<ref>{{cite news |title=Torwart Flekken fehlt Freiburg ein halbes Jahr |url=https://www.weltfussball.de/news/_n4172394_/torwart-flekken-fehlt-freiburg-ein-halbes-jahr/ |work=Weltfussball |date=17 September 2020 |language=de}}</ref> Meanwhile, he was replaced in goal by Florian Müller, who was on loan from Mainz 05. He returned as the starter in goal on 9 May 2021; before that he had regained match practice with the Freiburg reserves in the Regionalliga Südwest.<ref>{{cite news |title=Freiburg im Saisonendspurt mit Flekken im Tor |url=https://www.weltfussball.de/news/_n4454443_/freiburg-im-saisonendspurt-mit-flekken-im-tor/ |work=Weltfussball |date=7 May 2021 |language=de}}</ref>
Flekken started the 2021–22 season as the undisputed first-choice goalkeeper and, after ten games in a row without defeat, saw the team in third place of the league, to which he had contributed with the league's best rate of shots saved.<ref>{{cite news |title=Die Zahlen hinter dem Erfolg: Was Freiburg so stark macht |url=https://www.kicker.de/die-zahlen-hinter-dem-erfolg-was-freiburg-so-stark-macht-877541/artikel |work=kicker |date=5 November 2021 |language=de-DE}}</ref>
===Brentford=== On 31 May 2023, Flekken signed for Premier League club Brentford for a reported fee of £11 million.<ref>{{cite news |title=Brentford sign keeper Mark Flekken from Freiburg |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65763042 |access-date=31 May 2023 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=31 May 2023}}</ref>
====2023–24 season==== In his debut season, Flekken recorded seven clean sheets and made 113 saves, ranking eighth in both categories across the Premier League.<ref name="SeasonReview">{{cite web |title=Season Review: Top Performers |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/analysis-brentford-player-of-the-season-premier-league-2023-24-season-review-part-3 |website=Brentford FC |access-date=7 May 2025}}</ref> He also stood out for his distribution, becoming one of only two goalkeepers in the league to register an assist, setting up a goal for Neal Maupay against Manchester City. He made four key passes, the most by any goalkeeper in the division that season.<ref name="SeasonReview" />
In February 2024, Flekken won the Premier League Save of the Month award for a reflex save against Pedro Neto of Wolverhampton Wanderers. The stop was later nominated for Premier League Save of the Season.<ref name="SaveOfMonth">{{cite web |title=Flekken wins Save of the Month |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/first-team-premier-league-save-of-the-month-february-mark-flekken-brentford |website=Brentford FC |access-date=7 May 2025}}</ref> His form across the campaign earned him a call-up to the Netherlands national team for UEFA Euro 2024.<ref name="PlayerProfile">{{cite web |title=Mark Flekken Player Profile |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/teams/profile/mark-flekken |website=Brentford FC |access-date=7 May 2025}}</ref>
====2024–25 season==== In the 2024–25 season, he maintained a high level of performance and was named Brentford’s Player of the Month for February 2025 after conceding just one goal across three matches, including clean sheets in victories over West Ham United and Leicester City.<ref name="PotMFeb">{{cite web |title=Flekken wins February Player of the Month |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/first-team-mark-flekken-brentford-aosom-player-of-the-month-february-2025 |website=Brentford FC |access-date=7 May 2025}}</ref> By April 2025, he had made more saves than any other goalkeeper in Europe’s top five leagues, with 103, and ranked eighth in the Premier League for save percentage at 72.5%.<ref name="TopFive">{{cite web |title=Top Five Players: Season Stats |url=https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news/article/analysis-brentford-top-five-players-premier-league-2024-25 |website=Brentford FC |access-date=7 May 2025}}</ref> In addition, Flekken was rated as the fifth best goalkeeper in the world according to data from the CIES Football Observatory Index.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=BBC Sport|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/c3wxx1e6616o|title=Chelsea's Sanchez among world's best keepers, says data|date=11 April 2025|language=en}}</ref>
Upon the conclusion of the 2024–25 season, he led the Premier League in saves, making 153 with a save percentage of 73.6%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/article/mark-flekken-set-join-erik-151600780.html |title=Mark Flekken set to join up with Erik Ten Hag at Bayer Leverkusen |publisher=Yahoo Sports |date=2 June 2025 }}</ref>
===Bayer Leverkusen=== On 3 June 2025, Flekken signed for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen on a three-year deal for a reported fee of around €10 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bayer 04 sign Netherlands keeper Mark Flekken from Brentford |url=https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/bayer-04-sign-netherlands-keeper-mark-flekken-from-brentford |date=3 June 2025 |access-date=3 June 2025 |publisher=Bayer 04 Leverkusen |language=en-gb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Harris |first1=Jay |last2=Stafford-Bloor |first2=Sebastian |title=Bayer Leverkusen sign goalkeeper Mark Flekken from Brentford |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6397078/2025/06/03/mark-flekken-leverkusen-transfer/ |date=3 June 2025 |access-date=3 June 2025 |publisher=The Athletic |language=en-gb}}</ref>
==International career== Flekken was called up to the senior Netherlands national team squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Montenegro and Norway on 13 and 16 November 2021, respectively.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.onsoranje.nl/nieuws/nederlands-elftal/79760/van-gaal-roept-24-spelers-op-voor-laatste-groepsduels-wk-kwalificatie|title=Van Gaal roept 24 spelers op voor laatste groepsduels WK-kwalificatie|website=OnsOranje.nl |publisher=Royal Dutch Football Association |date=5 November 2021 |access-date=5 November 2021|language=nl}}</ref>
Flekken made his international debut for the Netherlands on 26 March 2022 in a friendly match against Denmark.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://eu-football.info/_match.php?id=18084|title=Netherlands vs Denmark, 26 March 2022|website=eu-football.info |date=26 March 2022 |access-date=8 September 2023|language=en}}</ref>
On 29 May 2024, Flekken was named in the Netherlands' squad for UEFA Euro 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5526712/2024/05/29/netherlands-euro-2024-squad-confirmed/|title=Example Title|date=29 May 2024|access-date=7 June 2024|website=The New York Times}}</ref>
==Career statistics== ===Club=== {{updated|match played 16 May 2026}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Mark Flekken » Club matches|url=https://www.worldfootball.net/person/pe259105/mark-flekken/club-matches/|website=WorldFootball.net|access-date=2 June 2024}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup{{efn|Includes DFB-Pokal}} !colspan="2"|League cup{{efn|Includes EFL Cup}} !colspan="2"|Europe !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total |- !Division!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals!!Apps!!Goals |- |Alemannia Aachen |2012–13 |3. Liga |15||0||colspan="2"|—|| colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||15||0 |- |rowspan="4"|Greuther Fürth II |2013–14 |Regionalliga Bayern |14||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||14||0 |- |2014–15 |Regionalliga Bayern |3||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||3||0 |- |2015–16 |Regionalliga Bayern |8||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||8||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !25!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!25!!0 |- |rowspan="4"|Greuther Fürth |2013–14 |2. Bundesliga |0||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||0||0||2||0 |- |2014–15 |2. Bundesliga |2||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||2||0 |- |2015–16 |2. Bundesliga |1||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||2||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !3!!0!!1!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!0!!0!!4!!0 |- |rowspan="3"|MSV Duisburg |2016–17 |3. Liga |37||1||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||38||1 |- |2017–18 |2. Bundesliga |31||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||32||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !68!!1!!2!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!70!!1 |- |rowspan="6"|SC Freiburg |2018–19 |Bundesliga |1||0||0||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||1||0 |- |2019–20 |Bundesliga |10||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||11||0 |- |2020–21 |Bundesliga |3||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||4||0 |- |2021–22 |Bundesliga |32||0||5||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||37||0 |- |2022–23 |Bundesliga |34||0||3||0||colspan="2"|—||7{{efn|Appearances in UEFA Europa League}}||0||colspan="2"|—||44||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !80!!0!!10!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!7!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!97!!0 |- |SC Freiburg II |2020–21 |Regionalliga Südwest |3||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||3||0 |- |rowspan="3"|Brentford |2023–24 |Premier League |37||0||0||0||1||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||38||0 |- |2024–25 |Premier League |37||0||0||0||2||0||colspan="2"|—||colspan="2"|—||39||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total !74!!0!!0!!0!!3!!0!!colspan="2"|—!!colspan="2"|—!!77!!0 |- |Bayer Leverkusen |2025–26 |Bundesliga |24||0||3||0||colspan="2"|—||6{{efn|Appearances in UEFA Champions League}}||0||colspan="2"|—||33||0 |- !colspan="3"|Career total !292!!1!!16!!0!!4!!0!!13!!0!!0!!0!!325!!1 |} {{notelist}}
===International=== {{updated|match played 31 March 2026}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=31875|title=Mark Flekken|website=EU-Football.info|access-date=13 August 2023}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |+ Appearances and goals by national team and year !National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals |- |rowspan="5"|Netherlands |2022||4||0 |- |2023||2||0 |- |2024||2||0 |- |2025||2||0 |- |2026||1||0 |- !colspan="2"|Total!!11!!0 |}
==Honours== '''MSV Duisburg''' *3. Liga: 2016–17 *Lower Rhine Cup: 2016–17
'''SC Freiburg II''' *Regionalliga Südwest: 2020–21
'''SC Freiburg''' *DFB-Pokal runner-up: 2021–22<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.kicker.de/freiburg-gegen-leipzig-2022-dfb-pokal-4770850/aufstellung |title=DFB-Pokal 2021/22, Finale in Berlin: SC Freiburg 2:4 RB Leipzig: Aufstellung |trans-title=DFB-Pokal 2021/22, Final in Berlin: SC Freiburg 2:4 RB Leipzig: Lineup |website=Kicker |publisher=Olympia-Verlag |access-date=26 June 2023 |language=de}}</ref>
'''Individual''' *Premier League Save of the Month: February 2024<ref>{{cite web |date=8 March 2024 |title=Flekken wins Castrol Save of the Month award |url=https://www.premierleague.com/news/3922122 |access-date=9 March 2024 |publisher=Premier League}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category}} * [https://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/185184/speler/26776 Mark Flekken] at the Royal Dutch Football Association {{in lang|nl}} * [https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/teams/profile/mark-flekken Mark Flekken] at Brentford F.C. * {{Premier League player}} * {{UEFA player}}
{{Bayer 04 Leverkusen squad}} {{Navboxes | title = Netherlands squads | bg = #F1771D | fg = white | bordercolor = #21468B | list1 = {{Netherlands squad UEFA Euro 2024}} {{Netherlands squad 2026 FIFA World Cup}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flekken, Mark}} Category:1993 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Kerkrade Category:Dutch men's footballers Category:Men's association football goalkeepers Category:Roda JC Kerkrade players Category:Alemannia Aachen players Category:SpVgg Greuther Fürth players Category:SpVgg Greuther Fürth II players Category:MSV Duisburg players Category:SC Freiburg players Category:Brentford F.C. players Category:Bayer 04 Leverkusen players Category:Bundesliga players Category:2. Bundesliga players Category:3. Liga players Category:Regionalliga players Category:Premier League players Category:Netherlands men's international footballers Category:Dutch expatriate men's footballers Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in England Category:Dutch expatriate sportspeople in Germany Category:Expatriate men's footballers in England Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Germany Category:UEFA Euro 2024 players Category:21st-century Dutch sportsmen Category:2026 FIFA World Cup players