Krutzen Un-Retires Himself For Forge Return

Christmas has come a little early for Forge FC fans.

The Canadian Premier League club has just announced the signing of Dutch centre-back Daniel Krutzen on a multi-year deal, with the 29-year-old coming out of retirement to secure his return to Hamilton, Ontario.

Krutzen is a club original who enjoyed three North Star Shield wins with Forge FC between 2019 and 2022, captaining the side to their third playoff championship win in his last appearance following a lengthy spell on the sidelines following an ACL injury.

He made eighty appearances for the club overall, tallying nine goals and three assists during his first spell in orang.

He then when stateside to join Phoenix Rising, where a recurrent knee injury sidelined his season’s progress, but still couldn’t prevent him from winning the USL Championship before his then-retirement at the age of 27.

The Dutch defender then stepped into a new side of the sporting world, becoming a licensed agent with Future Soccer.

Two years later, Krutzen is stepping back into the professional game in the hopes of helping Forge FC collect some more silverware. Some club originals may not be there to recieve him, however, with David Choiniere signing with FC Supra and Alexander Achinioti-Jonsson weighing his options.

“We’re pleased to welcome Daniel back to Forge,” says Forge FC head coach and sporting director Bobby Smyrniotis. “He’s part of the foundation of this club, helped establish our standards early on, and understands what it takes to win here. His return adds experience and leadership to our group.”

Having been out of the professional game for two seasons and with a recurring knee injury having curtailed his career previously, it’ll be interesting to see how Krutzen’s fitness holds for the 2026 Canadian Premier League season.

The full structure of Krutzen’s multi-year contract was not disclosed by Forge FC.

Header Image Photo Credit: Audrey Magny