Albert Antonia Gustaaf De Cleyn (28 June 1917 – 13 March 1990) was a Belgian

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

player who became the first top scorer of the

Belgian First Division The Belgian Pro League (; ; ), officially the Jupiler Pro League () for sponsor Jupiler, is a professional association football league in Belgium and the highest level of the Belgian football league system. Contested by 16 clubs from the 2023– ...

with 40 goals in 1946 while playing for

Mechelen Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical context. T ...

. 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 England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. According to the RSSSF, during his career (1933–1955) he scored a total of 431 top league goals, which is the 5th best tally in European top league football, being bettered only by the likes of

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and

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Honours

Club

KV Mechelen *

: 1942–43, 1945–46, 1947–48

Individual

* Belgian First Division top scorer: 1941–42 (34 goals), 1945–46 (40 goals) * Most goals in the Belgian First Division ever (377 goals) * Most goals in a Belgian First Division game (7 goals) in a 7-1 victory against

Racing de Bruxelles Koninklijke Football Club Rhodienne-De Hoek is a Belgian association football club based in Sint-Genesius-Rode, Flemish Brabant. The club was created in 1894 as Racing Football Club. It became a member of the Royal Belgian Football Association ...

''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

External links

* 1917 births 1990 deaths Belgian men's footballers K.V. Mechelen players Belgium men's international footballers Belgian Pro League players Belgian football managers K.V. Mechelen managers Men's association football forwards 20th-century Belgian sportsmen {{Belgium-footy-forward-stub