Historical profile
Career overview
Eric Maria Gerets (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈeːrɪk ˈxeːrəts]; born 18 May 1954) is a Belgian former professional football manager and player. Nicknamed "The Lion (of Flanders)", he was regarded as one of the top right-backs in Europe at his peak and is considered one of the greatest players in Belgian football history. Gerets started his playing career as a striker for local amateur team AA Rekem, before achieving success as a right-back with Standard Liège and PSV. He captained PSV to their first and only European Cup win in 1988. As a coach, Gerets is one of six managers – along with José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Giovanni Trapattoni, Tomislav Ivić and Ernst Happel – to have won domestic league championships in at least four countries.