Jack Grealish has taken to Twitter to brand former Aston Villa striker Luc Nilis as an ‘absolute legend’.
The iconic Belgian forward – who scored a total of 164 career goals according to Transfermarkt – played for the Villans between 2000 and 2001.
Nilis only managed to make five appearances in total for Aston Villa after signing on a free transfer from PSV Eindhoven, in less than fortunate circumstances.
A good start at Villa Park saw the former Anderlecht frontman net twice in his first four games, but the fifth and final outing spelt disaster.
After a collision with Richard Wright in a match against Ipswich Town, Nilis suffered a double compound fracture of his right shin.
The injury later became infected and he feared amputation according to the BBC – while that was never necessary, it did spell the end of his career in the Midlands.
Despite his short-lived stint at Villa Park, it is clear why Grealish considers Nilis a ‘legend’.
The 1995 Eredivisie Footballer of the Year made quite the impression on two of the greatest strikers ever to have played the game in Ronaldo and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
As documented by These Football Times, Ronaldo once hailed Nilis as his greatest strike partner, while Van Nistelrooy said there wasn’t another player he respected as much as the ex-Villa striker.
If only he hadn’t suffered that horrible clash with Wright.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
