Kostas Lamprou


Kostas Lamprou is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Dutch club RKC Waalwijk.

Career

Born in Athens in 18 September, Kostas Lamprou was just 13 when he left his homeland Greece for the Netherlands. The keeper was invited to join the Ajax youth academy after impressing at an international tournament in which he appeared for Panathinaikos as a guest player. Lamprou’s stay in Amsterdam was not a success, however, and the Greek was released six months later. Lamprou decided to stay in the Netherlands, joining amateur club Amstelveen Heemraad, and the gamble paid off. Lamprou’s performances caught the eye of Feyenoord, who offered him a place at the club’s youth academy at Varkenoord.
The Greece U21 international made his Feyenoord bow in preseason 2009–10. A year later Lamprou went on loan to Excelsior but returned to Feyenoord during the winter break after failing to force himself into the first team at Woudestein. The keeper was given a first-team squad number at De Kuip and was named among the substitutes for a number of Eredivisie games.
Lamprou’s official debut came in the cup against AGOVV on 20 September 2011. AGOVV Apeldoorn. The Greek spent the rest of the season as second-choice keeper behind Erwin Mulder.
The former Sparta Rotterdam and PSV goalkeeper Pim Doesburg commented: "Lamprou is a fantastic keeper. I think he'll have to surrender his spot, management will prefer Mulder. But if it were up to me, I would always leave him in. He has a good kick, good reflexes, is agile and has been playing very well recently. They tell him he is too short. That's ridiculous, no one has ever said I was too short. Lamprou has incredible leaping ability.
The consistency of the young keeper caused on October 2012, his first call from Fernando Santos, the coach of Greece national football team.
On 4 July 2014, Willem II finalized with Feyenoord the lending of Kostas Lamprou agreeing that the goalkeeper would play for the Tricolores for the next season. At Willem II, he joined the existing goalkeepers David Meul and Mattijs Branderhorst. Lamprou itself was happy with the chance to play for Willem II. "I have a good feeling about the discussions we have had. I hope we can make a nice season developing my skills even further."
On 19 May 2015, after his exceptional year with Willem II the club's technical director Carlos Aalbers announced the signing of the Greek international for the next two years. "Kostas fits into the play of Willem II and he has proved last season in the Eredivisie that he is a very good goalkeeper. We are therefore pleased that we sign with him for the next two years."
As a mercenary of Feyenoord, Lamprou made his best season so far. A return to De Kuip was not at issue, since the Greek keeper received a new contract. Since mid-April Willem II was in constant talking to finalize a longer stay in Tilburg. Willem II's coach Jurgen Streppel describes the goalkeeper as a keeper who in the coming years will further develop his skills. After a difficult start, he was one of the pillars of the success of Willem II, ended in ninth place in Eredivisie.
He started the 2015–16 season as the main goalie, like last year. On 14 September 2015, in the 5th day of Eredivisie in an away game against his former club Feyenoord even if he was the main protagonist with many saves could not prevent the defeat. After a very difficult season where the club saved for relegation, he started the 2016–17 season as the undisputable main goalie of the club. On 4 December 2016, in a 0–0 home draw against FC Twente, he reached 100 appearances in Eredivisie with the jersey of two different clubs.
On 1 August 2017, Lambrou signed a one-year contract with Dutch club Ajax, becoming the fourth Greek in history to wear the colors of the club after Nikos Machlas, Yannis Anastasiou and Angelos Charisteas. The 26-year-old goalkeeper signed from Willem II, after two excellent seasons with them as a free transfer, even he knew that he started as a third option. In the beginning of the season he played for Jong Ajax, and on 25 October 2017 he made his debut with the first team in a 4–1 away win KNVB game against De Dijk. Eventually, on 6 May 2018 the Greek goalie was finally handed his Eredivisie debut with Ajax and by saving five Excelsior shots guiding his team to a 2–1 away victory, sealing his exit to next's UEFA Champions League season.
On 2 July 2018, he renewed his contract with Ajax until the end of the 2018–19 season. On 16 July 2019, after two years with Ajax, Lamprou signed a year contract with another Dutch club Vitesse for an undisclosed fee.
On 30 June 2020, RKC Waalwijk announced that Lamprou has signed with the club on a free transfer until 2021.

Career statistics

Honours

Club

Ajax
Jong Ajax