Euros legends: How Paul van Himst became Belgium's very own Pele

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Paul van Himst helped Belgium to third at Euro 72, was his country's record goalscorer before Romelu Lukaku came along and once gave the Nazis a right old bashing

Paul van Himst Belgium Euro 72 legend
(Image credit: PA)

An international debutant in 1960 at the age of 17, the precocious Paul van Himst combined mesmerising technical ability with such deadly finishing that he soon earned the nickname ‘the White Pele’.

The four-time Belgian Footballer of the Year racked up goals with startling regularity. He averaged better than a goal every other game for Anderlecht, for whom he won eight league titles and four Belgian Cups in a 16-year professional career, and he scored 30 goals in his 81 caps. That tally for the Red Devils remained unbeaten for more than four decades until Romelu Lukaku appeared on the scene.

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FourFourTwo Staff
FourFourTwo Staff

FourFourTwo was launched in 1994 on the back of a World Cup that England hadn’t even qualified for. It was an act of madness… but it somehow worked out. Our mission is to offer our intelligent, international audience access to the game’s biggest names, insightful analysis... and a bit of a giggle. We unashamedly love this game and we hope that our coverage reflects that.