A product of the AZacademy, Stengs broke into the first team during the 2017–18 season. He developed into a key player for the club, and earned a transfer to Ligue 1 club Nice in 2021 for a fee reported to be €10 million plus bonuses. After mainly being a substitute during his first season at the club, he was sent on a season-long loan to Antwerp. There, he won the Belgian Pro League and Belgian Cup. In 2023, he returned to the Netherlands where he signed with defending Eredivisie title winners Feyenoord for a fee worth €6 million.
At international level, Stengs has represented the Netherlands, having made his debut for the senior team in November 2019.
Born in Amstelveen, and growing up in Nieuw-Vennep, North Holland,[1] Stengs joined AZ's youth academy at the age of 12, having formerly played for local side SV DIOS and HFC Haarlem.[2] He was promoted to the AZ reserves for the 2016–17 season playing in the third division. He made his professional debut for the first team on 14 December 2016, starting as a right winger in a KNVB Cup match against lower league ASWH, which his team won 2–0.[3] That season, he made 22 league appearances for Jong AZ, scoring six goals and making eight assists.[4] His strong performances for the reserves were noticed by first team head coach John van den Brom, and on 5 March 2017, Stengs made his league debut for AZ in a 1–1 home draw against Excelsior in the Eredivisie.[5]
Stengs was promoted to the AZ first team ahead of the 2017–18 season, and he made his first start for the club on 12 August in a 3–2 away loss against PSV.[6] In the seventh minute of the match he twisted his knee and tore his anterior cruciate ligament, cutting his first professional season short.[7]
Stengs returned to first team action in November 2018 and reconquered his position in the AZ starting eleven, 15 months after his injury. On 16 January 2019, he scored his first goal for AZ in a 3–0 home win over FC Utrecht.[8] Stengs ended the 2018–19 season with three goals and four assists in 21 appearances.[9][10]
On 25 July 2019, Stengs made his debut in the Europa League in a 0–0 home draw against Allsvenskan club BK Häcken. He made his first European goal in the return match in Sweden, netting in the 56th minute as AZ won 3–0 and advanced in the competition.[11] He continued as a starter under head coaches Arne Slot and Pascal Jansen.[12]
On 14 July 2021, Stengs signed for Ligue 1 club Nice on a five-year contract for a transfer fee reported to be €10 million plus bonuses.[13][14][15] On 28 August 2021, he made his debut for the club in a 4–0 league win over Bordeaux. He came on as a 36th-minute substitute for injured compatriot Justin Kluivert.[16] On 25 September, he scored his first goal in a 3–0 win over bottom of the league Saint-Étienne.[17][18]
On 30 August 2022, Stengs joined Belgian Pro League club Antwerp on a season-long loan.[19] He made his debut on 4 September, starting in a 3–0 league victory over Westerlo.[20] In his following appearance, a 2–1 home win against Seraing on 16 September, he recorded his first assist as his corner-kick was headed in by Toby Alderweireld.[21] He scored his first goal for Antwerp on 10 November, contributing to a 2–2 draw in the Belgian Cup against Beveren, which Antwerp would go on to win after a penalty-shootout.[22] His first league goal came on 27 December in a 3–3 away draw against Westerlo, completing a comeback in the 88th minute.[23] On 29 January 2023, Stengs was sent off for the second time in his professional career in a league game against Anderlecht after a punching motion towards Amadou Diawara.[24]
On 30 April 2023, Stengs won the Belgian Cup with Antwerp.[25] Just over a month later, on 4 June, he won the league title with the club on the final match-day after a dramatic 2–2 draw against Genk, handing Antwerp their first league title in 66 years.[26] Stengs was suspended for the game.[27]
On 26 July 2023, Stengs joined reigning Dutch champions Feyenoord on a four-year contract, where he reunited with Arne Slot, who also coached him at AZ.[28] The Rotterdam club paid Nice a reported €6 million transfer fee.[29] He made his debut on 6 August against PSV in the 2023 Johan Cruyff Shield, which Feyenoord lost 1–0.[30] On 13 August, Stengs started in Feyenoord's opening match of the 2023–24 Eredivisie season, a 0–0 home draw against Fortuna Sittard.[31] He scored his first goal for the club on 3 September, scoring the second goal in a 5–1 away win against FC Utrecht.[32]
On 21 November 2023, Stengs scored a hat-trick in the Netherlands' final UEFA Euro 2024qualifier against Gibraltar to register his first senior international goals.[36]
Gibraltar
