Middlesbrough‘s Sontje Hansen says he will make a decision on his future this summer.
The Netherlands-born Curaçao international spent two years at NEC Nijmegen and joined the Championship side in August 2025.
Last summer, Carlos Aalbers, the Dutch club’s technical director, said his €3.5m move to Middlesbrough worked for everyone. The sale saw them make a profit, having signed him for free in 2023.
The winger mainly operated as an attacking midfielder at Middlesbrough, scoring only one goal from 510 minutes from 20 matches.
He’s hardly featured since Kim Hellberg took charge at the Riverside Stadium in November. The restricted role hasn’t stopped Curaçao manager Dick Advocaat from picking him for the World Cup.
Middlesbrough man joins NT
Curaçao are starting their World Cup preparations in the Netherlands. Sontje Hansen will join them, after losing the Championship playoff final to Hull City.
De Gelderlander report Kim Hellberg’s side had granted him permission to travel to the Netherlands earlier this month.
He took advantage of the trip to watch his former club, NEC Nijmegen, from the stands against Go Ahead Eagles. They sealed a 2-1 win and that result helped them finish in the third spot and secure a berth in the Champions League qualifiers.
The Middlesbrough player, who spoke to the newspaper, said he was “very happy” with this.
“I owe them a lot of gratitude. Without NEC, I wouldn’t be standing at Wembley now. They gave me a chance. I don’t play there anymore, but that qualification for the Champions League makes me very happy,” he said.
Opens Boro exit door and return to former club
Sontje Hansen is unhappy with the restricted role and is open to leaving Middlesbrough. The player also leaves opens the door for a possible return to NEC Nijmegen.
“If they call me asking if I want to be loaned out to them, I can always discuss that with my agent. If that call comes, I will certainly listen to it seriously,” Hansen explained.
“I am going to look during pre-season at what is best for me: going for my chances at Middlesbrough or aiming for a loan spell. I think, maybe, that I want to be loaned out.”
Loan move beneficial
The attacker should find out during the pre-season whether he’ll be part of Kim Hellberg’s core plans next season.
If not, which is likely to be the case, he can go out on loan. A temporary move would help him enjoy regular minutes, that wasn’t available at Middlesbrough.
