Luc Nilis

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.

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

PSV Eindhoven Having left Anderlecht for Eindhoven in 1994, Nilis topped the Dutch scoring charts in the 1995–96 season, plundering 21 goals. He continued that form into 1996–97 – leading the pack by December 1996 with 13 – before matching his previous total, 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. 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. Nilis' Villa career started well, as he scored on his debut in the UEFA Intertoto Cup against Dukla Příbram on 22 July 2000 before going on to score on his league debut against Chelsea on 27 August 2000. In a league match against Ipswich Town on 9 September 2000, Nilis was involved in a clash with goalkeeper Richard Wright that left him with a double compound fracture of his right shin. At one point, the injury became infected and Nilis even feared a possible amputation. 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).

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 Republic of Ireland.

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. 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. In addition to his position as manager of Belisia Bilzen, Nilis was also hired as striker coach at the Talent Academy of Genk on 10 March 2022.

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

Personal life Nilis's father, Roger (1938–2011), played as a professional footballer in Belgium in the 1960s. 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.

Legacy Ronaldo names Nilis as the best strike partner he played with, despite sharing only a brief time with him at PSV. 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. In 2020, he was named in the "Best squad of all time", of both Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven.

Career statistics

Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

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1984–85 Belgian Second Division

1985–86

Honours Anderlecht Belgian First Division: 1986–87, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1993–94 Belgian Cup: 1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94 Belgian Supercup: 1987, 1993 European Cup Winners' Cup runner-up: 1989–90 Bruges Matins: 1988

PSV Johan Cruyff Shield: 1996, 1997, 1998

Individual Belgian Bronze Shoe: 1990, 1991 Dutch Eredivisie Footballer of the Year: 1995 Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year: 1995–96 Eredivisie Top Scorer: 1995–96 (21 goals), 1996–97 (21 goals) Golden Shoe Lifetime Achievement Award: 2001 AD The Best PSV Team Ever: 2020 DH The Best RSC Anderlecht Team Ever: 2020 Pro League Hall of Fame: 2024