François Van der Elst
Belgian footballer (1954–2017)
François "Swat" Van der Elst (1 December 1954 – 11 January 2017) was a Belgian footballer. He played as a right winger. He played from 1971 to 1986. He played for Anderlecht, New York Cosmos, West Ham United and Lokeren. He was born in Opwijk, Flemish Brabant.
![]() Van der Elst in 1977 | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 1 December 1954 | |||||||||||||
Place of birth | Opwijk, Belgium | |||||||||||||
Date of death | 11 January 2017 | (aged 62)|||||||||||||
Place of death | Aalst, Belgium | |||||||||||||
Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||
Position(s) | Winger | |||||||||||||
Youth career | ||||||||||||||
1965–1969 | VCE Mazenzele | |||||||||||||
1969–1971 | Anderlecht | |||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
1971–1980 | Anderlecht | 243 | (82) | |||||||||||
1980–1981 | New York Cosmos | 43 | (12) | |||||||||||
1981–1983 | West Ham United | 62 | (14) | |||||||||||
1983–1986 | Lokeren | 57 | (12) | |||||||||||
Total | 405 | (120) | ||||||||||||
National team | ||||||||||||||
1973–1983 | Belgium | 44 | (14) | |||||||||||
Honours
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* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
On 1 January 2017, Van der Elst was put in an induced coma because of heart failure. He died from cardiac arrest on 11 January 2017 in Aalst, East Flanders. He was 62.[1]
References
change- ↑ "Former West Ham and Anderlecht winger François Van der Elst dies aged 62". Essex Live. 11 January 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017. Retrieved 11 January 2017.