![]() Van Gestel in 1953. | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 20 January 1930 | ||
Place of birth | Mol, Belgium | ||
Date of death | 17 April 2020 | (aged 90)||
Place of death | Mol, Belgium | ||
Position(s) | Right winger | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
1946–1948 | SV Mol | ||
1948–1958 | Lyra | 168 | (92) |
1958–1962 | Verbroedering Geel | ||
Total | 168+ | (92+) | |
International career | |||
1951–1953 | Belgium | 5 | (2) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Raymond Van Gestel (20 January 1930 – 17 April 2020) was a Belgian footballer, athlete and pilot. [1] He spent most of his career with Lyra. [2]
Born in Mol, Van Gestel played as a right winger for SV Mol, Lyra and Verbroedering Geel. [3] In total he played 57 games in the first division scoring a total of 32 goals. [4]
In 1954, when Lyra were promoted to the First Division, he suffered a severe knee injury, largely ending his career. [5] In total he played 168 league games for Lyra, scoring 92 goals. [3] [6]
During his career he also earned 5 caps for the Belgium national team between 1951 and 1953, scoring 2 goals. [3] Both goals came against Spain on 10 June 1951; the first goal was scored after only 17 seconds in the game, giving him the then-record of the fastest goal scored for the national team. [7] [1] Following the game against Spain he was nicknamed Raimundo el rapido and he was close to a transfer to Spanish club Espanyol, but Lyra refused the deal. [8]
In 1954 he was selected for the Belgian squad for the World Cup in Zürich, but he could not join the team due to a military mission in Africa as a fighter pilot with the Belgian air force. [5]
He was also active as an athlete in the long jump and sprints. He was the Belgian long jump champion. [9] Due to his versatility he is one of the few Belgian athletes ever to compete in different sports at an international level in the same year. [10]
Van Gestel was a Fighter pilot for the Belgian air force and flight instructor. [11] [12] As an instructor he trained around 2000 students. [13] Together with his brother he was also one of the founding members of the Belgian Flying club Keiheuvel. [10] [14]
He died in Mol on 17 April 2020, aged 90. [14]
![]() Van Gestel in 1953. | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 20 January 1930 | ||
Place of birth | Mol, Belgium | ||
Date of death | 17 April 2020 | (aged 90)||
Place of death | Mol, Belgium | ||
Position(s) | Right winger | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
1946–1948 | SV Mol | ||
1948–1958 | Lyra | 168 | (92) |
1958–1962 | Verbroedering Geel | ||
Total | 168+ | (92+) | |
International career | |||
1951–1953 | Belgium | 5 | (2) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Raymond Van Gestel (20 January 1930 – 17 April 2020) was a Belgian footballer, athlete and pilot. [1] He spent most of his career with Lyra. [2]
Born in Mol, Van Gestel played as a right winger for SV Mol, Lyra and Verbroedering Geel. [3] In total he played 57 games in the first division scoring a total of 32 goals. [4]
In 1954, when Lyra were promoted to the First Division, he suffered a severe knee injury, largely ending his career. [5] In total he played 168 league games for Lyra, scoring 92 goals. [3] [6]
During his career he also earned 5 caps for the Belgium national team between 1951 and 1953, scoring 2 goals. [3] Both goals came against Spain on 10 June 1951; the first goal was scored after only 17 seconds in the game, giving him the then-record of the fastest goal scored for the national team. [7] [1] Following the game against Spain he was nicknamed Raimundo el rapido and he was close to a transfer to Spanish club Espanyol, but Lyra refused the deal. [8]
In 1954 he was selected for the Belgian squad for the World Cup in Zürich, but he could not join the team due to a military mission in Africa as a fighter pilot with the Belgian air force. [5]
He was also active as an athlete in the long jump and sprints. He was the Belgian long jump champion. [9] Due to his versatility he is one of the few Belgian athletes ever to compete in different sports at an international level in the same year. [10]
Van Gestel was a Fighter pilot for the Belgian air force and flight instructor. [11] [12] As an instructor he trained around 2000 students. [13] Together with his brother he was also one of the founding members of the Belgian Flying club Keiheuvel. [10] [14]
He died in Mol on 17 April 2020, aged 90. [14]