Van der Pluijm, raised in Rotterdam, joined local side Feyenoord when he was seven year's old. After almost a decade with the club, he left the club and joined Excelsior, where he captained the U19 side in his first season.[1]
College and amateur
In 2018, Van der Pluijm moved to the United States to play college soccer at Young Harris College. Over three seasons with the Mountain Lions, he made 54 appearances, scoring four goals and tallying three assists. In 2019 he was named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region second team, CoSIDA Academic All-District III Men's Soccer Team, the All-Peach Belt Conference second team, and the Peach Belt Conference Men's Soccer Team of Academic Distinction.[2]
On 17 December 2021, it was announced that Van der Pluijm would join USL Championship side Colorado Springs Switchbacks ahead of their 2022 season.[4] He made his professional debut on 26 March 2022, appearing as a 90th–minute substitute in a 2–0 win over Birmingham Legion.[5]
Van der Pluijm joined USL League One expansion club One Knoxville SC on 15 December 2022. The move reunites van der Pluijm and his college coach, Mark McKeever.[6] He made his USL League One debut on 19 March 2023 starting against Lexington SC and scoring his first goal on 1 May 2023, a game winning overtime goal against Central Valley Fuego FC.
