Berry van Aerle

In this Dutch name, the surname is van Aerle, not Aerle.
Berry van Aerle
Van Aerle in 1987
Personal information
Full name Hubertus Aegidius Hermanus van Aerle
Date of birth (1962-12-08) 8 December 1962 (age 62)
Place of birth Helmond, Netherlands
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Right-back, midfielder
Youth career
HVV Helmond
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1981–1994 PSV 278 (12)
1986–1987 → Antwerp (loan) 22 (1)
1994–1995 Helmond Sport 15 (1)
Total 315 (14)
International career
1987–1992 Netherlands 35 (0)
Medal record
Representing  Netherlands
UEFA European Championship
Winner 1988 West Germany
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Hubertus Aegidius Hermanus "Berry" van Aerle (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbɛri vɑn ˈaːrlə]; born 8 December 1962) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played mainly as a right-back but also as a midfielder.

A tough tackler, he was best known for his spell with PSV, which he helped capture the 1988 European Cup. A Dutch international for five years, he won the Euro 1988 tournament.[1]

Club career

Born in Helmond, North Brabant, van Aerle spent 13 years with Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven, helping them to five leagues. During most of his spell, he also played as a defensive midfielder as the right-back slot was occupied by veteran Belgian Eric Gerets; incidentally, the Dutchman spent one year in that country, on loan to Royal Antwerp FC.[1]

Van Aerle played the entire final of the 1987–88 European Cup, won on penalties against S.L. Benfica after a 0–0 draw. "It wasn't a particularly good match, with both teams very cautious, but it was exciting until the end and a tense penalty shoot-out. It does not matter how you win it, just as long as you do. Now we're in the history books forever: we lifted that trophy", van Aerle told Berend Scholten on UEFA.com.[2][3] After Gerets retired in 1992, he began dealing with several injuries but still managed to appear regularly, collecting more than 300 overall appearances until his departure; he was also one of five European players to ever achieve the feat of winning four competitions – three with their club and one with the national team – in the same year, the others being teammates Hans van Breukelen, Wim Kieft, Ronald Koeman and Gerald Vanenburg.

Eventually, van Aerle retired from play after one sole season with hometown's Helmond Sport. After working as a mailman in his hometown,[4] he returned to PSV, where he served in several capacities (talent scout,[5] supporters coordinator).

International career

Van Aerle won his first cap for the Netherlands on 14 October 1987. In the following year's UEFA European Championship, he was an undisputed starter as the national side lifted their first continental trophy, in West Germany (all matches and minutes).[6]

In total, van Aerle appeared in 35 games in exactly five years, also being selected for the 1990 FIFA World Cup and Euro 1992. During those years, he formed an efficient fullback partnership with Adri van Tiggelen, also his clubmate in the early 90s.

Honours

PSV

Netherlands

References

  1. ^ a b "1988 anti-hero, Berry van Aerle". Bleed Orange. 27 June 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  2. ^ Van Aerle relives PSV glory night against Benfica; UEFA.com, 4 April 2011
  3. ^ James M. Ross (17 January 2008). "Champions' Cup 1987–88". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 21 February 2010. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  4. ^ Biography at VOETBLAH Archived 11 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine (in Dutch)
  5. ^ Berry van Aerle toegevoegd aan scoutingstaf PSV (Berry van Aerle to join PSV's scouting staff); Voetbal Centraal (in Dutch)
  6. ^ "Van Basten ends Dutch wait". UEFA.com. 5 October 2003. Retrieved 26 November 2015.