Luc Nilis
Nilis in 2023
Personal information
Full name Luc Gilbert Cyrille Nilis[1]
Date of birth (1967-05-25) 25 May 1967 (age 56)
Place of birth Hasselt, Belgium
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
 Patro Eisden (striker coach)
Youth career
1973–1980 Halveweg Zonhoven
1980–1984 Winterslag
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1984–1986 Winterslag 47 (16)
1986–1994 Anderlecht 223 (124)
1994–2000 PSV 164 (110)
2000–2001 Aston Villa 3 (1)
Total 437 (251)
International career
1982–1983 Belgium U16 6 (3)
1982–1983 Belgium U17 3 (2)
1983–1984 Belgium U18 8 (1)
1983–1985 Belgium U19 11 (6)
1986–1987 Belgium U21 3 (0)
1988–2000 Belgium 56 (10)
Managerial career
2005–2006 Heusden-Zolder (technical director)
2006–2011 PSV (scout)
2007–2010 PSV (assistant)
2011 Kasımpaşa (assistant)
2011–2013 Gençlerbirliği (assistant)
2015–2018 PSV (striker coach)
2018–2020 VVV-Venlo (assistant)
2020 MKE Ankaragücü (striker coach)
2021 Jordan (assistant)
2021–2022 Belisia Bilzen
2022–2023 Genk (academy coach)
2023– Patro Eisden (striker coach)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Luc Gilbert Cyrille Nilis (born 25 May 1967) is a Belgian professional football manager and former player who is the striker coach of Patro Eisden.

He spent most of his career in his native Belgium and, in particular, in the Netherlands with PSV. His playing days came to an end in the 2000–01 season after breaking his leg in a match with his club Aston Villa following a clash with Ipswich Town goalkeeper Richard Wright.

Club career

His former clubs include Winterslag, Anderlecht, PSV and Aston Villa.

Early years

As youth player, Nilis was regarded as Winterslag's greatest talent. Standard, Club Brugge and PSV Eindhoven showed interest in the stylish attacker, but under the influence of Raymond Goethals, Nilis was transferred to Anderlecht at the age of 18.[2]

Anderlecht

Forming a duo with players such as Luís Oliveira or Marc Degryse, he would win several national prizes in the next seasons.[3] Although he was not considered as a very quick football player, his scoring ability and excellent kicking technique stood out. Long, placed distance shots with both left and right feet became his hallmark.[4]

PSV Eindhoven

Having left Anderlecht for Eindhoven in 1994, Nilis topped the Dutch scoring charts in the 1995–96 season, plundering 21 goals.[5] He continued that form into 1996–97 – leading the pack by December 1996 with 13[6] – before matching his previous total,[5] in a season that ended with PSV winning the league title for the first time in five years.[7] In late 1997, Nilis scored thrice in three games over a fifteen-day period, all against Shay Given; with a goal at Newcastle United in the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League group stage coming in between goals for Belgium against the Republic of Ireland.[8] During his time with PSV, Nilis formed one of the deadliest partnerships in Europe with team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy, who signed for PSV in 1998.[7] In the 1998–99 season, Nilis and van Nistelrooy scored 55 league goals between them. Van Nistelrooy finished as top-scorer,[5] Nilis came second. In the following season, Nilis' last for PSV, they scored 48 league goals between them.

Aston Villa

After six years in the Netherlands, Nilis joined Aston Villa on a Bosman transfer in June 2000.[9] Nilis' Villa career started well, as he scored on his debut in the UEFA Intertoto Cup against Dukla Příbram on 22 July 2000[10] before going on to score on his league debut against Chelsea on 27 August 2000.[11] In a league match against Ipswich Town on 9 September 2000, Nilis was involved in a clash with goalkeeper Richard Wright[12] that left him with a double compound fracture of his right shin.[13] At one point, the injury became infected, and Nilis even feared a possible amputation.[14] This hypothesis was later ruled out, although his playing career was effectively ended.

International career

Nilis played 56 times for the Belgium national team, scoring ten times. A prolific goalscorer with his clubs, he scored his first goal for Belgium only on his 24th cap (a 9–0 win against Zambia).[15]

Nilis played in the FIFA World Cups in 1994 and 1998. Qualification for the latter was sealed with Nilis' goals in each leg of Belgium's playoff against the Irish Republic.[8] Nilis dropped out of international football after the 1998 Finals, reportedly in response to an "unhealthy atmosphere within the squad and their lack of achievement".[15] However, with control of the Belgian national side having changed,[9] Nilis returned to the international fold in November 1999,[15] in time for Euro 2000, co-hosted by his birth-country Belgium and the Netherlands.

Coaching career

After his playing career ended, Beringen-Heusden-Zolder were his next port of call, becoming technical director in 2005, not long before the club's liquidation after financial difficulties.[7] Nilis took a job with PSV, first as a scout, and then training the club's forwards. In January 2011, Nilis became assistant manager with Turkish club Kasımpaşa, followed by another assistant manager stint with Gençlerbirliği S.K., also in Turkey. In April 2015, he was re-hired by PSV as a striker coach.[16]

In August 2021, Nilis became the head coach of Belgian Division 2 club Belisia Bilzen, which had been founded earlier that year from a merger between Spouwen-Mopertingen and Bilzerse Waltwilder.[17] It was his first assignment as head coach. In the round of 16 of the Belgian Cup, Belisia were drawn against Gent. At the end of October 2021, they lost that cup match 4–0.[18] In addition to his position as manager of Belisia Bilzen, Nilis was also hired as striker coach at the Talent Academy of KRC Genk on 10 March 2022.[19]

In 2023, he was appointed striker coach of Patro Eisden.[20]

Personal life

Nilis's father, Roger (1938–2011), played as a professional footballer in Belgium in the 1960s.[21] His son Arne was a youth player for Genk and PSV Eindhoven but was unable to pursue a professional career, mainly due to injuries and a gambling addiction.[22]

Legacy

Ronaldo occasionally names Nilis as one of the best strike partners he had played with, despite sharing only a brief time with him at PSV.[23] Ruud van Nistelrooy has also stated on several occasions that the Belgian was one of the best players, if not the best, he had ever played with.[7]

Despite the lack of a major international career, the technically skilled attacker is still praised by football fans and journalists in the low countries.[24] In 2020, he was named in the "Best squad of all time", of both Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven.[25]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Winterslag 1984–85[26] Belgian Second Division 22 5 — — — 22 5
1985–86[26] Belgian Second Division 25 11 — — — 25 11
Total 47 16 — — — 47 16
Anderlecht 1986–87[27][26] Belgian First Division 16 5 — 3[c] 1 — 19 6
1987–88[27][26] Belgian First Division 32 14 — 6[c] 1 — 38 15
1988–89[27] Belgian First Division 33 19 — 4[d] 0 — 37 19
1989–90[27] Belgian First Division 27 9 — 9[d] 4 — 36 13
1990–91[27] Belgian First Division 30 19 — 6[e] 3 — 36 22
1991–92[27] Belgian First Division 27 15 — 9[c] 6 36 21
1992–93[27] Belgian First Division 28 19 — 6[e] 4 — 34 23
1993–94[27] Belgian First Division 30 24 — 9[f] 7 39 31
Total 223 124 — 52 26 275 150
PSV Eindhoven 1994–95[27][28] Eredivisie 30 12 1 0 — 2[e] 1 — 33 13
1995–96[27][28] Eredivisie 31 21 5 5 — 8[e] 5 — 44 31
1996–97[27] Eredivisie 26 21 2 3 — 4[g] 2 1[h] 0 33 26
1997–98[27] Eredivisie 24 13 3 3 — 5[f] 1 — 32 17
1998–99[27] Eredivisie 27 24 4 1 — 5[f] 0 — 36 25
1999–2000[27] Eredivisie 26 19 1 0 — 7[f] 2 — 34 21
Total 164 110 16 12 — 31 11 1 0 212 133
Aston Villa 2000–01[27] Premier League 3 1 0 0 0 0 2[i] 1 — 5 2
Career total 437 251 16 12 0 0 85 38 1 0 539 301
  1. ^ Includes Belgian Cup, KNVB Cup, FA Cup
  2. ^ Includes League Cup
  3. ^ a b c Appearances in European Cup
  4. ^ a b Appearances in European Cup Winners' Cup
  5. ^ a b c d Appearances in UEFA Cup
  6. ^ a b c d Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  7. ^ Appearances in UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
  8. ^ Appearance in Johan Cruyff Shield
  9. ^ Appearances in UEFA Intertoto Cup

International

Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Nilis goal.[29]
List of international goals scored by Luc Nilis
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 4 June 1994 Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium  Zambia 5–0 9–0 Friendly
2 8 August 1994 Heysel Stadium, Brussels, Belgium   Hungary 3–1 3–1 Friendly
3 7 October 1995 Hrazdan Stadium, Yerevan, Armenia  Armenia 1–0 2–0 UEFA Euro 1996 qualifying
4 2–0
5 9 October 1996 Stadio Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino  San Marino 2–0 3–0 FIFA World Cup 1998 qualifying
6 3–0
7 29 October 1997 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland  Ireland 1–1 1–1 FIFA World Cup 1998 qualifying
8 15 November 1997 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium  Ireland 2–1 2–1 FIFA World Cup 1998 qualifying
9 22 April 1998 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium  Romania 1–1 1–1 Friendly
10 25 June 1998 Parc des Princes, Paris, France  South Korea 1–0 1–1 FIFA World Cup 1998

Honours

Anderlecht[30]

PSV[30]

Individual

References

  1. ^ "Luc Nilis". PSV Eindhoven. 4 July 2002. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Luc Nilis: genieten van Winterslag tot Aston Villa". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 13 May 2016.
  3. ^ "Zulj de 600ste die voor Anderlecht speelde en ook deze mijlpalen staan in geschiedenis gegrift: van Nii Lamptey tot Luc Nilis". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 28 January 2019.
  4. ^ "Nilis, Luc". anderlecht-online.be (in Dutch). 7 November 2023.
  5. ^ a b c "Topscorers". EredivisieStats.nl. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  6. ^ "Hierro grabs crucial goal as Real Madrid stay on top". The Nation. Bangkok. Reuters. 2 December 1996. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
  7. ^ a b c d Beresford, Jack (9 September 2016). "Luc Nilis: The PSV Eindhoven hitman who ran out of luck at Aston Villa". loaded.co.uk. Loaded. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  8. ^ a b Coughlan, David (13 June 2016). "Belgium legend Luc Nilis opens up about the 1998 World Cup playoff against Ireland & our chances at Euro 2016". buzz.ie.
  9. ^ a b Lansley, Pete (9 June 2000). "Nilis turns blind eye to Villa". BBC Sport. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  10. ^ "Merson off in Villa win". BBC. 22 July 2000. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  11. ^ "James gives Chelsea helping hand". BBC. 27 August 2000. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  12. ^ "Nilis injury mars Villa win at Ipswich". BBC Sport. 9 September 2000. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  13. ^ Peter O'Rourke. "Nilis making good progress". Sky Sports. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  14. ^ "Nilis feared amputation". BBC Sport. 11 November 2000. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  15. ^ a b c "Luc Nilis". BBC Sport. 14 May 2000. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  16. ^ "Luc Nilis joins PSV's backroom team". PSV.nl. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  17. ^ "Luc Nilis gaat als hoofdcoach aan de slag bij lagereklasser SV Belisia". sporza.be (in Dutch). 29 August 2021.
  18. ^ "AA Gent heeft geen kind aan het Belisia Bilzen van Nilis en stoot vlot door". sporza.be (in Dutch). 27 October 2021.
  19. ^ LUC NILIS SPITSENTRAINER TALENT ACADEMY, krcgenk.be, 10 March 2022
  20. ^ "Luc Nilis maakt de overstap van Racing Genk naar Patro Eisden". Sporza (in Dutch). 7 June 2023. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  21. ^ Chris Mayer (4 July 2011). "Belgian Legends – Luc Nilis". The Belgian Waffle. Archived from the original on 1 January 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  22. ^ "Interview Arne Nilis: "Ik stond met gokken op en ging er mee naar bed"". casinonieuws.nl (in Dutch). 7 April 2023.
  23. ^ "Sabatina da Folha com Ronaldo - Íntegra".
  24. ^ "Top 100 beste voetballers van PSV aller tijden". dutchmultimedia.nl (in Dutch). 6 February 2022.
  25. ^ "Voici votre onze de légende d'Anderlecht: sans surprise, Vincent Kompany et Robby Resenbrink les plus plébiscités". dhnet.be (in French). 1 June 2020.
  26. ^ a b c d Luc Nilis at National-Football-Teams.com
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Luc Nilis » Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  28. ^ a b Luc Nilis at FootballDatabase.eu
  29. ^ "Luc Nilis, international footballer".
  30. ^ a b "Football-The Story | Luc Nilis".
  31. ^ "European Competitions 1989-90".
  32. ^ "Winnaars Brugse Metten".
  33. ^ "Netherlands Cup Finals".
  34. ^ "Luc Nilis, icoon van paars-wit".
  35. ^ "Luc Nilis vertelt zijn waarheid, maar houdt de regie".
  36. ^ "Palmares Profvoetballer van het Jaar". 11 May 2008.
  37. ^ "Eredivisie 1995-1996". 9 March 2020.
  38. ^ "Eredivisie 1996-1997". 9 March 2020.
  39. ^ "Geëmotioneerde Nilis krijgt alsnog unieke hulde". Gazet van Antwerpen (in Flemish). 31 January 2001. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  40. ^ "Het beste PSV ooit: onze experts kiezen de beste elf spelers".
  41. ^ "La Dernière Heure | Het Beste Elftal Aller Tijden".

External links

Belgium squads
Awards
Authority control databases
Categories