Rick Meissen

Rick Meissen is a 24-year-old Dutch centre back currently playing for Excelsior in the Eredivisie. He has established himself as a regular presence in the Excelsior backline this season, making 28 appearances and logging over 2,100 minutes across the 2025/26 campaign, which points to a player the coaching staff have consistently relied upon at the heart of defence.

His season average rating of 6.79 reflects a solid if unspectacular contribution, which is broadly what you would expect from a young centre back at a club fighting to hold its own in the Eredivisie. His two assists from a defensive position add a modest but notable attacking dimension to his game. Recent form has been mixed, however. A strong showing against Heracles, where he earned a 7.04 rating despite only playing 52 minutes as a substitute, and a composed display in the defeat to Feyenoord suggest he can perform creditably against higher-quality opposition. His last two starts, a 1-2 home loss to SC Heerenveen and a 2-2 draw at PEC Zwolle, produced ratings of 6.33 and 5.83 respectively, indicating some inconsistency when asked to carry the defensive line over a full 90 minutes.

Meissen's role at Excelsior is that of a dependable squad centre back who rotates in and out of the starting eleven depending on form and fixture. The transfer data on file shows movement in August 2025, though specific details around that deal are not publicly confirmed. There is no current international news attached to him at senior level, which is not unusual for a player still building his profile in the Dutch top flight. SportSignals' AI analysis engine has tracked Excelsior's defensive performances across this period, with the team conceding in each of Meissen's last five matches.

In his next appearance, it will be worth watching whether Meissen can recapture the composure he showed in the Heracles and Feyenoord fixtures, and whether he features from the start or again comes off the bench. His ability to maintain concentration over a full game, particularly in matches where Excelsior are under sustained pressure, remains the key question around his development at this stage of the season.