Van der Velden started his senior career at RKC Waalwijk before moving to Dordrecht.

In 2008 he joined AZ, which was coached by Champions League-winning manager Louis van Gaal.

Alongside Dutch national side members like Stijn Schaars and Demy de Zeeuw as well as foreign internationals, Ragnar Klavan, Sébastien Pocognoli, and Sergio Romero for instance, they won the 2008–09 Eredivisie and qualified for the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League group stage and the 2009 Johan Cruyff Shield.

They won the Shield but finished bottom of Group H in the Champions League, prompting the new manager Ronald Koeman to be sacked and replaced by Dick Advocaat.

He helped Dundee United win the Scottish Challenge Cup a month before being released on 25 April 2017.