Swinkels, Sil
Birth Date
6th January 2004
Birthplace
Sint-Oedenrode, Netherlands
Occupation
Defender
Biographical Text
Dutch defender Sil Swinkels, then aged 21, joined Exeter City from Aston Villa in July 2025 on a loan arrangement through until January 2026.
From the south of the Netherlands he had played for RKSV Rhode, Helmond Sport, Brabant United and Vitesse Arnhem when at school before becoming an Aston Villa scholar/trainee in 2020. Given an early first-team debut - alongside former Exeter City academy player Ben Chrisene - when Villa fielded a youthful, Covid-depleted team against Liverpool in the FA Cup, he was also part of the club's FA Youth Cup-winning team in 2021. Having represented the Netherlands at age group level, he made his second appearance for Villa's first-team against Wycombe Wanderers in the League Cup in November 2024 and, after signing a contract extension, spent the second-half of the 2024/25 on loan to Bristol Rovers for whom he made fourteen league appearances scoring twice.
With Villa keen for him to gain further first-team experience, he was loaned to Exeter City in July 2025 - ostensibly on a season-long basis - and made his debut in the opening-day defeat at Doncaster Rovers on 2 August 2025. Never quite a regular during his time at St James' Park, Sil made his final City appearance against Luton Town on 1 January 2026 before his parent club arranged for him to join Chesterfield for the remainder of the season.
From the south of the Netherlands he had played for RKSV Rhode, Helmond Sport, Brabant United and Vitesse Arnhem when at school before becoming an Aston Villa scholar/trainee in 2020. Given an early first-team debut - alongside former Exeter City academy player Ben Chrisene - when Villa fielded a youthful, Covid-depleted team against Liverpool in the FA Cup, he was also part of the club's FA Youth Cup-winning team in 2021. Having represented the Netherlands at age group level, he made his second appearance for Villa's first-team against Wycombe Wanderers in the League Cup in November 2024 and, after signing a contract extension, spent the second-half of the 2024/25 on loan to Bristol Rovers for whom he made fourteen league appearances scoring twice.
With Villa keen for him to gain further first-team experience, he was loaned to Exeter City in July 2025 - ostensibly on a season-long basis - and made his debut in the opening-day defeat at Doncaster Rovers on 2 August 2025. Never quite a regular during his time at St James' Park, Sil made his final City appearance against Luton Town on 1 January 2026 before his parent club arranged for him to join Chesterfield for the remainder of the season.
Appearances
Exeter City: League 7, Cups 4 (11)
Collection
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