Sil Swinkels (born 6 January 2004) is a Dutch footballer who currently plays as a centre-back or left-back for Chesterfield, on loan from Premier League club Aston Villa. Swinkels is a product of the Aston Villa and Vitesse Arnhem academies and has played for the Netherlands internationally at youth levels up to under-18. Swinkels played on loan for EFL League One side Bristol Rovers in 2025, making his senior league debut and appearing fourteen times.
Swinkels was born in Sint-Oedenrode in the south of the Netherlands in 2004.
Having played youth football for Dutch sides RKSV Rhode, Helmond Sport, Brabant United and Vitesse Arnhem, he joined Aston Villa's academy in summer 2020.
Swinkels made an unexpected first team debut for Aston Villa when, due to a COVID-19 outbreak, Villa were forced to play an inexperienced squad in an FA Cup third-round tie against Liverpool on 8 January 2021.
On 24 May 2021, Swinkels was part of the Aston Villa U18s team that won the FA Youth Cup, beating Liverpool U18s 2âÂÂ1 in the final. On 10 August 2021, he signed his first professional contract with Aston Villa.
In March 2023, Swinkels suffered a torn ACL in a Premier League 2 match against Southampton B which he confirmed would result in an extended period on the sidelines. Swinkels eventually returned to football on 8 April 2024, in a 4âÂÂ0 defeat for Villa U21s against Chelsea U21s. After coming back from injury and playing a part in Aston Villa U21s reaching the Premier League 2 play-offs and winning the Birmingham Senior Cup, on 17 May 2024, Swinkels signed a contract extension with Aston Villa.
On 24 September 2024, Swinkels made his first appearance for the senior Aston Villa team for the first time since 2021 during a 2âÂÂ1 away victory against Wycombe Wanderers in the EFL Cup. Swinkels was a regular substitute option for Villa in the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League and 2024-25 Premier League over the first half of the season but did not appear.
On 28 November 2024, Swinkels signed another contract extension with Aston Villa.
On 3 February 2025, Swinkels signed for EFL League One club Bristol Rovers on loan until the end of the season. Swinkels made his English Football League debut on 11 February 2025, scoring a 91st minute equaliser in a match against Stockport County.
On 17 July 2025, Swinkels returned to League One, joining Exeter City on a season-long loan deal.
On 4 January 2026, Swinkels was recalled from his loan at Exeter, and immediately loaned out to EFL League Two club Chesterfield for the rest of the season. Swinkels made his Chesterfield debut only one hour after his transfer was announced, playing 90 minutes in a 2âÂÂ2 draw against Milton Keynes Dons.
Swinkels played for Netherlands at the under-15 level. On 6 September 2021, Swinkels made his debut for Netherlands U18 in a 5âÂÂ0 friendly victory over Italy. He scored his first goal at youth international level for Netherlands U18s, on 28 March 2022, in a 4âÂÂ1 away victory over Germany.
Aston Villa U18s
Aston Villa U21s