Philippe Albert

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Philippe Albert
Phillipe Albert 2014.jpg
Albert in 2014
Personal information
Full name Philippe Julien Albert
Date of birth (1967-08-10) 10 August 1967 (age 56)
Place of birth Bouillon, Belgium
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1986–1988 Charleroi 65 (7)
1988–1991 KV Mechelen 87 (5)
1991–1994 Anderlecht 50 (9)
1994–1999 Newcastle United 96 (8)
1998–1999Fulham (loan) 13 (2)
1999–2000 Charleroi 14 (1)
Total325(32)
International career
1987–1989 Belgium U21 4 (0)
1987–1997 Belgium 41 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Philippe Julien Albert (born 10 August 1967) is a Belgian former professional footballer and television pundit.

Contents

As a player he was a defender. He played for Charleroi, KV Mechelen and Anderlecht in his native Belgium, and for English clubs Newcastle United and Fulham. It was at Newcastle that he became known as an attack-minded centre-back for his forward runs from defence in the team dubbed as "the Entertainers". [1]

Albert made 41 appearances for the Belgium national team from 1987 to 1997, and represented his country at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups.

Club career

Albert started his career with Charleroi before moving to KV Mechelen where his performances won him Belgian Golden Shoe and a move to Anderlecht. While playing at Anderlecht, he won the Belgian League twice and helped his national side qualify for the 1994 World Cup.

Albert's exploits at the World Cup earned him a £2.6 million transfer to Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United; he was issued the number 27 shirt, and completed the transfer on his 27th birthday. [2] He later claimed he turned down moves to Italian clubs Juventus and Fiorentina the year before as he did not like the hot climate or having to play on Sundays, and moved to Newcastle as he was a fan of Keegan and the team he played for, Liverpool, in his youth. [2] He was an immediate success in the side as he helped them win their first six league games of the 1994–95 season, but missed the later stages of the season through injury and Newcastle finished sixth – not even enough for a UEFA Cup place. [3] He became a cult hero at Newcastle United due to his less-than-defensive tendencies in "the Entertainers'" central defence, would often make runs forward and be found roaming on the edge of the opposition box. His most famous moment arguably came when he scored an audacious chip from 20 yards over Peter Schmeichel in a 5–0 win over Manchester United on 20 October 1996. [4] [5]

Fans at Newcastle created a terrace chant for the player, singing "Phillipe, Phillipe Albert, everyone knows his name" to the words of the theme song of 1970s children's TV series The Adventures of Rupert Bear . [1] [2]

Injuries towards the end of the decade limited his first-team chances and he spent 13 games on loan to third-tier club Fulham (managed at the time by his former Newcastle boss Keegan), scoring twice during the 1998–99 season as they were promoted from Division Two as champions.

On leaving Newcastle in 1999, Albert returned to Belgium, rejoining Charleroi for £600,000. He spent one season with the club before retiring from football.

International career

Albert made 41 appearances for the Belgium national team, [6] making his debut in 1987, but came to worldwide prominence at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. There he played in four of Belgium's matches, scoring against the Netherlands in his first game and against Germany in the second round match, which Belgium lost 3–2.

Post-playing career

Albert is now working as a pundit for Belgian TV, and also runs a successful fruit and vegetable company. [2] [7]

Career statistics

Source: [8]

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeague
DivisionAppsGoals
Royal Charleroi 1985–86 Belgian First Division 50
1986–87 Belgian First Division272
1987–88 Belgian First Division325
1988–89 Belgian First Division332
Total979
K.V. Mechelen 1989–90 Belgian First Division220
1990–91 Belgian First Division324
1991–92 Belgian First Division332
Total876
Anderlecht 1992–93 Belgian First Division255
1993–94 Belgian First Division254
Total509
Newcastle United 1994–95 Premier League 172
1995–96 Premier League234
1996–97 Premier League272
1997–98 Premier League230
1998–99 Premier League60
Total968
Fulham 1998–99 Football League 132
Total132
Royal Charleroi 1999–2000 Belgian First Division 131
Total131
Career total35635

National team

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Belgium 198710
198810
198930
199040
199160
199272
199351
199492
199500
199630
199720
Total415
List of international goals scored by Philippe Albert [9]
No. Cap DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
11725 March 1992 Parc des Princes, Paris, FranceFlag of France.svg  France 1–03–3 Friendly
2193 June 1992 Svangaskarð, Toftir, Faroe IslandsFlag of the Faroe Islands.svg  Faroe Islands 1–03–0 1994 World Cup qualification
32313 February 1993 Makario Stadium, Nicosia, CyprusFlag of Cyprus.svg  Cyprus 3–03–0 1994 World Cup qualification
43125 June 1994 Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, United StatesFlag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 1–01–0 1994 FIFA World Cup
5332 July 1994 Soldier Field, Chicago, United StatesFlag of Germany.svg  Germany 2–32–3 1994 FIFA World Cup

Honours

Club

KV Mechelen [10]

Anderlecht [14]

Newcastle [15]

Fulham [16]

Individual

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References

  1. 1 2 Moore, Glenn (29 October 1994). "Football: Albert able to call tune on the Tyne: A Belgian centre-back's attacking verve is delighting the Newcastle faithful. Glenn Moore reports" . The Independent . Archived from the original on 26 May 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Marshall, Paul (1 February 2009). "Au revoir, pet". ESPN Soccernet.
  3. Ridley, Ian (13 August 1995). "Club-by-club guide: The prospects, the players to watch, the arrivals and departures" . The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022.
  4. Gibbs, Thom (26 September 2012). "Manchester United v Newcastle United: Five memorable moments including Rooney, Cantona and Phillipe Albert". The Daily Telegraph .
  5. Edwards, Luke (6 December 2013). "Flashback: The day Newcastle United shocked Manchester United with 5-0 victory at St James' Park". The Daily Telegraph .
  6. Mamrud, Roberto (16 July 2009). "Belgium – Record International Players". RSSSF . Retrieved 23 October 2009.
  7. "Fan 'completes' 1996 Premier League sticker album". BBC News Online . 19 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
  8. "Club Appearances of Philippe Albert". national-football-teams.com. 27 January 2024.
  9. "Belgium football results by competition". eu-football.info. 25 January 2024.
  10. "KV Mechelen | Geschiedenis". Eurosport. Archived from the original on 6 February 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2016.
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  20. "Newcastle United have revealed the club's greatest ever team as voted for by supporters".
  21. "La Dernière Heure | Het Beste Elftal Aller Tijden".
  22. "RBFA - Discover our 125 Years Icons Team".