David Bates

Missed 6 of Standard Liege's ~40 games this season through 6 injury absences (knee). He still appeared 18 times — a solid return given how little of the season he was available. His rating is judged mainly on the games he was fit to play.

Performance data · by competition

Competition	Apps	G	A	Min	Match
Jupiler Pro League	18	1	0	1384	6.9

Career

Full career & schedule →

Challenge Cup×2

Bates's current-season form is level with last season (Season 20→21), while his Rating eased 38→32. His peak season for form remains 2021/22 (Season 26).

Domestic career

Season	Club	Apps	G	Match	RTG	Season
2025/26	Standard Liege · 3rd	18	1	6.9	32	21
2024/25	Standard Liege · 3rd	9	0	7.13	38	20
2023/24	KV Mechelen · 2nd	9	0	7.13	43	15
2022/23	KV Mechelen · 2nd	25	2	6.8	53	24
2021/22	Aberdeen · 3rd	33	2	7.05	49	26

Domestic-league totals per season. RTG = Field Insider Rating (potential / ceiling); Season = age-blind form that year. 7 earlier seasons in the full career.

Scotland · international

Side	Apps	G
Scotland	4	0
Scotland U21	4	0

Career caps & goals — tournament breakdown in the full career.

Scout report

Squad depthCentral defender

D. Bates is a 29-year-old central defender at Standard Liege, rated 31.8 overall by Field Insider's model, ranking 253rd of 294 on scout potential in the Jupiler Pro League. An experienced operator, he has been a rotation option this season (38.4% of available minutes). His defensive output reads 3.97 tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90. Below: strengths, watch-points, market-value outlook and the latest transfer news on Bates.

Judged on this season alone, Bates graded 21 — a workmanlike campaign that ranks 38th of 62 of the 62 centre-backs in the Jupiler Pro League, on 5 clean sheets and 3.967 defensive actions per 90.

Year-on-year, that's broadly in line with last season (Season 20 → 21). Over the 6 seasons on record his form has trended upward, peaking in 2021/22.

On long-term talent our Rating reads 32, 53rd of 62 of the 62 centre-backs in the Jupiler Pro League. At 29 Bates is in his prime years, and a market index of 6.1 reflects that trajectory.

Read the appearance count in context: Bates missed 6 games through injury (knee) out of roughly 40 this season. The 18 he did play is a solid return on the time he was fit, and his ratings are weighted toward those games rather than the ones he sat out injured.

From the career report

Read the full career report →

Below his 2021/22 peak but holding a solid level — the platform for a return is there.

Peak: 2021/22Holding levelRemarkably consistentInjury-hit 2025/264 clubs

Current potential53rd of 62 centre-backs · Jupiler Pro League Current season38th of 62 centre-backs · Jupiler Pro League38th-best centre-back in the Jupiler Pro League253rd in the Jupiler Pro League · potential53rd-highest potential centre-back in the Jupiler Pro League

31.8

Ratingi

53rd of 62 centre-backs

Seasoni

below regular-starter level

38.4%

Minutes

rotation minutes

3.97

Def. actions / 90

solid defensive volume

Output in context · Standard Liege finished 3rd of 6 · a mid-table side

3.97

Def. / 90

Tackles

Interceptions

Clean sheets

3.97 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — solid defensive volume, with 5 clean sheets across 18 appearances. Going forward he chipped in 1 goal and 0 assists — a useful bonus from the back.

Strengths

Defensive volume. 3.97 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90 — does the unseen work.

Watch points

Game time. Only 38.4% of available minutes — needs a settled run to prove the level.
Level. Rates below a nailed-on top-tier starter on our model.

Outlook

With a Rating of 31.8, Bates carries the 53rd-highest potential of the centre-backs in the Jupiler Pro League of 62. Defensively he reads as solid defensive volume (3.97 tackles, blocks & interceptions per 90). Experienced and reliable, but the value curve is easing (1.1× now → 0.8× projected in three years).

Generated from Field Insider's rating model · AI-written analysis to follow.

Per 90 & availability

Minutes played %38.4%

Available fixtures40 of 40

Goals / 900.065

Assists / 900

Goal contribution / 900.065

Defensive actions / 903.967

Player flow

Goal involvements1

Shot conversion %25

Shot accuracy %50

Pass accuracy %83

Dribble success %100

Cards / 900.195

Foul involvement / 901.431

Season-by-season progression

Rating (potential)Season (form)

Value & potential by age

Market valueRating

Solid = now · dashed = projected

The gold line is market value — an index (not €) blending rating, age and league. It climbs through the early 20s, peaks around ages 23–27 (~11), then tapers with age. At 29, Bates sits on 6.1, past its peak and easing. The blue line is Bates's projected Rating — 31.8 today — recomputed at each age, so it follows the same rise-and-fall as a career matures and declines. Solid = up to today; dashed = projected.

Season statistics

Bars = where he ranks among centre-backs in the Jupiler Pro League with 600+ minutes this season.

Shooting

Goals1

Shots on target4

Shots8

Passing

Assists0

Chances created1

Passes673

Pass accuracy83%

Possession

Successful dribbles1

Dribble success100%

Duels won70

Duels won %58.3%

Fouls won7

Defending

Tackles18

Interceptions18

Blocks25

Fouls committed15

Yellow/red cards

Yellow cards3

Red cards0

Transfer history

Amed2026/27 – now

Standard Liege2024/25 – 2026/27

KV Mechelen2022/23 – 2024/25

Aberdeenuntil 2022/23

Cercle Brugge(on loan)2020/21 – 2022/23

Sheffield Wednesday(on loan)2019/20 – 2020/21

Hamburger SV2018/19 – 2019/20Free

Rangers(on loan)2016/17 – 2018/19

Raith Rovers(back from loan)2015/16 – 2016/17

Brechin(on loan)2015/16 – 2015/16

Raith Rovers(back from loan)2015/16 – 2015/16

East Stirlingshire(on loan)2014/15 – 2015/16

Raith Roversuntil 2014/15

About D. Bates

David Robert Bates is a 29-year-old centre-back who plays for Standard Liege, born on October 5, 1996 in Kirkcaldy, standing 190 cm tall. He is from Scotland. Standard Liege currently sit 3rd of 6 in the Jupiler Pro League.

This season

In the current season, D. Bates has made 18 appearances with 1 goal and 0 assists across 1,384 minutes, averaging a 7.04 match rating over his last 10 rated games, with 3 yellow cards.

When D. Bates plays, Standard Liege's record this season is 8W-6D-4L — and his match ratings average 6.88 at home against 6.92 on the road.

Recent matches

May 23, 2026: 0-2 loss at home vs Charleroi (90 minutes, 6.3 rating)
May 19, 2026: 2-1 win away at KVC Westerlo (90 minutes, 6.6 rating)
May 16, 2026: 0-0 draw at home vs Genk (90 minutes, 7.9 rating)
May 8, 2026: 2-1 win at home vs OH Leuven (90 minutes, 7.5 rating)
May 3, 2026: 5-0 win away at Antwerp (90 minutes, 1 goal, 9.5 rating)
April 25, 2026: 1-1 draw away at Genk (83 minutes, 6.3 rating)
April 18, 2026: 2-1 win away at Charleroi (90 minutes, 6.2 rating)
April 11, 2026: 1-2 loss at home vs KVC Westerlo (90 minutes, 6.3 rating)
April 4, 2026: 3-1 win away at OH Leuven (90 minutes, 6.6 rating)
March 22, 2026: 0-0 draw at home vs KVC Westerlo (90 minutes, 7.2 rating)

Field Insider's view

Field Insider currently rates D. Bates at 31.8 with a Season form score of 21, ranking 253rd of 294 centre-backs in the Jupiler Pro League. See the full scout report for strengths, watch-points and the market-value outlook.

Availability: D. Bates has missed 6 matches this season through injury.

His honours include 2 career titles — among them the Challenge Cup. Full list in the career record.

Career

Across 12 recorded seasons, D. Bates has totalled 190 club appearances with 9 goals and 1 assist for 10 different clubs. His busiest campaign came in 2021/22, with 33 appearances for Aberdeen.

D. Bates's career has also included time at Amed, KV Mechelen, Aberdeen, Cercle Brugge, Sheffield Wednesday, Hamburger SV, Rangers, Raith Rovers, Brechin and East Stirlingshire.

On the international stage, D. Bates has represented Scotland and Scotland U21 — 8 caps in our records.

Transfer news

No transfer news found for this player.

Profile

Season stats

Injury-affected season

Performance data · by competition

Career

Scout report

Output in context · Standard Liege finished 3rd of 6 · a mid-table side

Strengths

Watch points