JAN CEULEMANS

One of Europe's finest strikers throughout the 1980s, Belgium's most capped player Jan Ceulemans enjoyed a long and successful career in domestic football, resisting the temptation to move abroad to stay in Belgium throughout his playing days. He also played in several major tournaments for the national team and was a part of perhaps their finest side.

Ceulemans' career began as a teenager with Lierse SK, his hometown club. His early performances earned him a call-up to the national team two years later, making his debut in a World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands. The following year, he moved on to one of Belgium's top clubs, joining Club Brugge in what was for the time a big money transfer. The move was to be the last of his playing career, as he went on to become a legend at Brugge.

In 1980 Ceulemans played a crucial role in Brugge's league championship success, before going on to play the national team that reached the semi-finals of that year's European Championship, and he was named Belgian Footballer of the Year. After playing in his first World Cup in 1982, the greatest years of Ceulemans' career came in the mid-1980s. Footballer of the Year again in both 1985 and 1986, he won the Belgian Cup with Brugge in 1986 before inspiring Belgium to their first World Cup semi-final in Mexico.

More major honours followed at club level as Brugge took the league title again in 1988 and 1990, and later that year Ceulemans appeared in his third World Cup where Belgium were unlucky to fall to England in the second round. After winning his second Belgian Cup with Brugge in 1991, Ceulemans brought an end to his playing career in 1991 having played more than 400 league games for Brugge.

Following the end of his playing career, Ceulemans became coach of Eendracht Aalst in 1992, leading them into the top division and into the U.E.F.A. Cup. Leaving Aalst in 1996, he went on to take charge of Ingelmunster and KVC Westerlo before returning to his former home at Club Brugge as coach in 2005. Having been sacked by Brugge in 2006, he returned to Westerlo as coach a year later.