Gilles De Bilde
Encyclopedia
Gilles De Bilde is a retired Belgian
footballer who played as a striker. He played club football for Eendracht Aalst
, Anderlecht
, PSV, Sheffield Wednesday
, Aston Villa
, Lierse
and Willebroek-Meerhof. He was capped
by Belgium at international level.
, he won the 1994 Belgian Player of the Year and scored 21 goals in 33 league games during the 1994-95 season. He joined Anderlecht
in the summer of 1995 and managed a further 22 goals in 46 Belgian First Division matches. In a match between Anderlecht and Aalst in December 1996, he punched Krist Porte in the face, which broke his nose and injured his eye. Previously, De Bilde received a suspended two-year prison sentence in 1992 for head-butting two boy scout leaders and, four months before the Porte incident, he head-butted one nurse and punched another when he was denied access to a hospital room his father was in, having suffered a brain haemorrhage. Johan Boskamp
, Anderlecht's head coach, suggested that De Bilde should see a psychiatrist
.
In January 1997, De Bilde was transferred to Dutch
side PSV for £3m. During his time in Eindhoven, he scored 24 goals in 49 Eredivisie
matches. His seven goals in eight league matches during the second half of the 1996–97 season helped PSV become Dutch champions. He joined Sheffield Wednesday
in August 1999 and scored ten league goals in his first season with the club, but was unable to prevent them from being relegated from the Premier League. In October 2000, he joined Aston Villa
on loan for three months. He made four league appearances for the club, without scoring, and returned to Sheffield Wednesday in January 2001, where he stayed for the remainder of the season after a number of potential transfers failed to materialise. He returned to Anderlecht in July 2001 on a free transfer, having signed a three-year contract. Two years later, De Bilde joined Lierse
, where he finished his professional career at the end of the 2003–04 season. He played for Willebroek-Meerhof of the Belgian Promotion
between 2005 and 2007. De Bilde – who campaigned for a European ban on cat and dog fur – was fined by the club in 2006 for missing a match to mourn the death of one of his dogs.
25 times by Belgium at international level. He was a member of the squad at Euro 2000 and made one appearance at the finals, in a 2–0 defeat against Turkey
.
coverage. He appeared as a model for Belgian fashion designer Dirk Bikkembergs
, and has appearanced on television shows involving celebrity challenges, including Dancing on Ice
and Celebrity Shock.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
footballer who played as a striker. He played club football for Eendracht Aalst
V.C. Eendracht Aalst 2002
SC Eendracht Aalst is a Belgian football club based in Aalst, East Flanders.It changed its name in 2002 after former Belgian First Division club K.S.C. Eendracht Aalst had gone into liquidation. So they could not get the license and the new team began at the third division level...
, Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
, PSV, Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
, Lierse
Lierse S.K.
Koninklijke Lierse Sportkring is a Belgian professional football club, from the city of Lier in the Antwerp province. Lierse has been playing in the Belgian Pro League since the 2010-11 season and they have already won the competition 4 times. They also have won 2 Belgian Cups...
and Willebroek-Meerhof. He was capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
by Belgium at international level.
Club career
At Eendracht AalstV.C. Eendracht Aalst 2002
SC Eendracht Aalst is a Belgian football club based in Aalst, East Flanders.It changed its name in 2002 after former Belgian First Division club K.S.C. Eendracht Aalst had gone into liquidation. So they could not get the license and the new team began at the third division level...
, he won the 1994 Belgian Player of the Year and scored 21 goals in 33 league games during the 1994-95 season. He joined Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
in the summer of 1995 and managed a further 22 goals in 46 Belgian First Division matches. In a match between Anderlecht and Aalst in December 1996, he punched Krist Porte in the face, which broke his nose and injured his eye. Previously, De Bilde received a suspended two-year prison sentence in 1992 for head-butting two boy scout leaders and, four months before the Porte incident, he head-butted one nurse and punched another when he was denied access to a hospital room his father was in, having suffered a brain haemorrhage. Johan Boskamp
Johan Boskamp
Johannes Boskamp is a Dutch football manager, his most recent job was in Belgium managing KSK Beveren, but he was dismissed in late December 2009-Career:...
, Anderlecht's head coach, suggested that De Bilde should see a psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
.
In January 1997, De Bilde was transferred to Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
side PSV for £3m. During his time in Eindhoven, he scored 24 goals in 49 Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
matches. His seven goals in eight league matches during the second half of the 1996–97 season helped PSV become Dutch champions. He joined Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday F.C.
Sheffield Wednesday Football Club are a football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, who are currently competing in the Football League One in the 2011-12 season, in England. Sheffield Wednesday are one of the oldest professional clubs in the world and the fourth oldest in the...
in August 1999 and scored ten league goals in his first season with the club, but was unable to prevent them from being relegated from the Premier League. In October 2000, he joined Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
on loan for three months. He made four league appearances for the club, without scoring, and returned to Sheffield Wednesday in January 2001, where he stayed for the remainder of the season after a number of potential transfers failed to materialise. He returned to Anderlecht in July 2001 on a free transfer, having signed a three-year contract. Two years later, De Bilde joined Lierse
Lierse S.K.
Koninklijke Lierse Sportkring is a Belgian professional football club, from the city of Lier in the Antwerp province. Lierse has been playing in the Belgian Pro League since the 2010-11 season and they have already won the competition 4 times. They also have won 2 Belgian Cups...
, where he finished his professional career at the end of the 2003–04 season. He played for Willebroek-Meerhof of the Belgian Promotion
Belgian Promotion
The Belgian Promotion is the lowest nationwide division in Belgian football. Since 1905, Promotion has been the name of the lowest nationwide level but it is the fourth one since 1952. There were already 4 leagues at the time . The champion of the Promotion is declared to be the winner of a...
between 2005 and 2007. De Bilde – who campaigned for a European ban on cat and dog fur – was fined by the club in 2006 for missing a match to mourn the death of one of his dogs.
International career
De Bilde was cappedCap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
25 times by Belgium at international level. He was a member of the squad at Euro 2000 and made one appearance at the finals, in a 2–0 defeat against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
.
Post-retirement
After retiring, De Bilde became a regular football analyst on Belgian television, featuring on their domestic and Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
coverage. He appeared as a model for Belgian fashion designer Dirk Bikkembergs
Dirk Bikkembergs
Dirk Bikkembergs is a Belgian fashion designer.-Early life and designer career:Dirk Bikkembergs was born in Cologne, Germany, In 1982, Bikkembergs graduated, together with other Belgian designers Ann Demeulemeester, Dries van Noten, Dirk van Saene, Walter van Beirendonck and Marina Yee...
, and has appearanced on television shows involving celebrity challenges, including Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice
Dancing on Ice is a British television show co-hosted by Christine Bleakley and Philip Schofield, in which celebrities and their professional partners figure skate in front of a panel of judges. The format, devised by LWT and Granada Television, has been a prime-time hit in eight different...
and Celebrity Shock.