Albert De Cleyn Explained

Albert De Cleyn
Full Name:Albert Antonia Gustaaf De Cleyn
Birth Date:28 June 1917
Birth Place:Mechelen, Belgium
Death Place:Belgium
Position:Striker
Years1:1933–1955
Clubs1:K.V. Mechelen
Caps1:488
Goals1:377
Nationalyears1:1946–1948
Nationalteam1:Belgium
Nationalcaps1:12
Nationalgoals1:9
Manageryears1:1955–1957
Managerclubs1:K.V. Mechelen

Albert Antonia Gustaaf De Cleyn (28 June 1917 – 13 March 1990) was a Belgian football player who became the first top scorer of the Belgian First Division with 40 goals in 1946 while playing for Mechelen.[1]

He played 12 times with the Belgium national team between 1946 and 1948. De Cleyn made his international debut on 19 January 1946 in a 2-0 friendly defeat to England.

According to the RSSSF, during his career (1933–1955) he scored a total of 428 top league goals, which is the 5th best tally in European top league football, being bettered only by the likes of Josef Bican, Ferenc Puskas, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.[2]

Honours

Club

KV Mechelen[3]

Individual

Note: De Cleyn scored 19 goals in the unofficial competition of 1940-41, and 25 goals in 17 games in the uncompleted 1944-45 season.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Belgium – List of Topscorers. 24 April 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20090413192501/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesb/belgtops.html. 13 April 2009. live.
  2. Web site: Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Best League Goalscorers All-Time. 14 January 2022. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20060505084416/http://www.rsssf.com/players/prolific.html . 5 May 2006 .
  3. Web site: KV Mechelen Geschiedenis .
  4. Web site: 30 December 2022 . Belgium Soccer History 1895-2006 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110805054752/http://users.skynet.be/fb304341/ . 5 August 2011 .