Having been a free agent since the end of his spell at Union Saint-Gilloise, Christian Burgess has signed a two-year contract with AA Gent.
The Buffalos officially announced the transfer of the English defender and former captain of the Brussels side on Tuesday.
Two weeks after announcing his departure from Union, where he represented the yellow and blue colours for six seasons, Burgess joined AA Gent, nicknamed the Buffalos, who will compete in the Conference League qualifying rounds. The 34-year-old stalwart will be tasked with bringing experience and solidity to the Ghent defence.
During the regular season, Gent conceded 47 goals in 30 matches, followed by a further 14 in the Champions Play-offs.
Burgess has played over 250 matches in Belgium’s top flight over six seasons, all of which were spent wearing the Brussels club’s shirt.
The English defender was part of the Union team that narrowly missed out on the championship in 2022, 2023, and 2024. This led to them to qualify for both the Europa League and the Champions League.
After three attempts, Burgess played a leading role in Union clinching their twelfth league title in 2025, ending a historic 90-year championship drought.
He also won the Belgian Cup in 2024 and 2026, and did not miss a single minute of Union’s eight Champions League matches last season, according to a statement from AA Gent.
At the Planet Groupe Arena, Burgess will be reunited with his former team-mate Siebe Van der Heyden, who left Parc Duden in 2023 to join Spanish club Mallorca before returning to Belgium.
