Career
During his career he served Arizona and Fortuna Sittard. He was one of the football players that survived the Surinam Airways Flight PY764 air crash in Paramaribo on 7 June 1989. In his playing career Lens was a tall, but quick forward who was able to play as a right winger or a striker.
He made his professional debut at Arizona in the 1985-1986 season when he featured in a team with players like Kees Kist and Pier Tol.
Despite the appearance of these goalscoring players he was the club"s top goalscorer in the season, scoring a total of 17 goals. His efforts came out best in counterattacks as his pace could be used optimal.
Lens left Arizona in 1986 and signed a new contract at Fortuna Sittard. In his three years at Fortuna Sittard he became the club"s top goalscorer in the 1986-1987 and 1987-1988 season.
In the 1988-1989 season only John Clayton scored more goals.
He had a great effort in the matches against AFC Ajax, Feyenoord Rotterdam and PSV Eindhoven who were all beaten at Fortuna"s homeground De Baandert that season. The Surinam Airways Flight PY764 crashed during approach to Paramaribo-Zanderij International Airport, killing 176 of the 187 on board, making it the worst ever aviation disaster in Suriname"s history. Lens would never play professional football again due to a complicated pelvic fracture he suffered during the crash.
Lens was appointed by the VVCS (Vereniging Voor Contract Spelers) and became one of their player"s agents.
He would work mostly with the black players, with whom he built up close relationships. The VVCS reasoned that a black agent would sooner gain the trust of the black players.
lieutenant was said they might have been earning money for transfers without the VVCS or the player in question knowing. As a result both were fired by the VVCS, but as a result of the rumours a lot of the players at the VVCS left as well.
The affaire with Gerards and Lens in the main roles made it possible for commercial investors to start their own agencies.
This was also due to the Bosman ruling of 1995 that made it easier for players to switch clubs. Sigi Lens for instance started his own agency named Pro Athlete. The relations between Lens and the players he worked with were so close, that when Lens started Pro Athlete they immediately followed him and most of them stayed with him until now or until they ended their careers.
Several of the players Lens worked with and still works with are André Ooijer, Denny Landzaat, George Boateng, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Mario Melchiot, Michael Reiziger and Winston Bogarde.
