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]

Albert De Cleyn
Personal information
Full name Albert Antonia Gustaaf De Cleyn
Date of birth (1917-06-28)28 June 1917
Place of birth Mechelen, Belgium
Date of death 13 March 1990(1990-03-13) (aged 72)
Place of death Belgium
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1933–1955 K.V. Mechelen 488 (377)
International career
1946–1948 Belgium 12 (9)
Managerial career
1955–1957 K.V. Mechelen
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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

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Club

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KV Mechelen[3]

Individual

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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.

References

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  1. ^ "Belgium – List of Topscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 13 April 2009. Retrieved 24 April 2009.
  2. ^ "Best League Goalscorers All-Time". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 May 2006. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. ^ "KV Mechelen | Geschiedenis".
  4. ^ "Belgium Soccer History 1895-2006". 30 December 2022. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011.
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