He made his Eredivisie debut for NAC Breda under his father's management on 12 August 2018 in a game against AZ Alkmaar, coming on as a 70th-minute substitute for Mitchell te Vrede in a 5–0 away loss.[2]
In August 2018, he moved on loan for a season to Eerste Divisie side Helmond Sport.[3] He scored his first professional goal, his only one for the club, to open a 2–1 loss at FC Eindhoven on 23 November.[4]
On 23 January 2022, Van der Gaag came on as a first-half substitute for Nilton Varela away to his former team Marítimo, and was sent off 32 minutes later in a 1–1 draw.[7]
From 2014 to 2017, Van der Gaag earned five caps for the Netherlands from under-15 to under-19 level. His sole appearance for the last of those teams was on 1 September 2017, starting in a 2–2 friendly draw with Portugal in Vaasa, Finland; he was substituted for Donyell Malen after 61 minutes.[9]
Personal life
Van der Gaag is the son of the former professional footballer and current manager, Mitchell van der Gaag, who played for Marítimo and managed that club and Belenenses, among others. His younger brother, Luca, was a teammate at Belenenses SAD.[10] His paternal grandfather, Wim, was one of the first Dutch professional footballers in 1954.[11]
Notes
^Belenenses SAD changed its name to B-SAD in 2021.
^Pereira, Sérgio; Alvarenga, Vítor Hugo (2 October 2021). "O futebol português também é uma questão de ADN" [Portuguese football is also a question of DNA] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 12 October 2021.