Career
He started his professional career in the 1995–1996 season playing for Football Club Groningen. He later served South Carolina Heerenveen, NAC Breda and Sparta Rotterdam. In summer 2010 he was signed by Football Club Edmonton in preparation for the club"s competitive debut in the 2011 North American Soccer League season.
However, van Gessel exercised a contract clause and left Edmonton on January 17, 2011 when JEF United Ichihara Chiba of J. League Division 2 made a more lucrative offer.