Looking Back: Nico Claesen

Lets have a natter about our former players. Just something to break the boredom of the working day. Happy Friday peeps!

Nico Claesen

So who remembers Nico? The little Belgium played in over 50 games for the Spurs and scored 18 goals for us. I have no idea why but he was one of my fav players at the time despite some of the other greats we had in the side (to be fair I was only 7 at the time watching that team)

So some of you must have seen him play, what are your thoughts. Was he as fast as I remember? Would he fit into the side now? Let’s look back!

Nico Claesen signed for Spurs from Standard Liege in October 1986 for 600k, his three goals for the Belgium team that finished fourth in the summer’s world cup alerting manager David pleat to this pacey diminutive striker. He went straight into the team for a rare away win at Liverpool, impressing immediately with his endeavour and speed of the mark. Nico notched his first league goal in a 2-1 away defeat to Norwich in the second week of November, a cool finish to a fine move involving hoddle and Paul Allen. He next scored when he came off the bench in another away defeat this time at Coventry in late December. This heralded a profitable Jan with a run of four goals in five league and cup games. Running onto a through ball and a clean crisp finish became his trademark, as demonstrated by his identical goals against Charlton & Villa. Hoddle supplied both passes, so there was potentially a readymade supply of chances.
Short in Stature, his muscular frame and low centre of gravity made him surprisingly difficult to know off the ball. whilst his acceleration and leg speed gained him further advantages over many defenders. His busy industrious approach signalled a readiness to contribute to team play, all apparently ideal attributes to the English game. However the writing was on the wall for the little Belgium. The signing of Steve Hodge lead to Pleat preferring a fluid five man midfield, with Chris Waddle shifting from orthodox winger to a roaming forward and Clive Allen as the sole striker. It worked. Spurs moved up the table, eventually coming 3rd and reached the league cup semi final and FA cup final, while Allen unstoppable goal scoring meant his rival Claesen had to increasingly settle for sporadic
Appearances, predominantly in a withdrawn role. This wasn’t his game: passing and tackling were not his strengths. Whilst his goal scorer’s instincts were of little use without a partner to feed off. The abiding images in this period were of Nico Drifting in to no man’s land between the middle and the opponents box or being overwhelmed in the area increasingly forlorn, disheartened and aimless. He finished the season with 8 games from 26 games. Claesen’s prospects looked brighter at the beginning of the next campaign, playing 16 of the first 20 games. He scored the only goal against Chelsea an late august, followed by 2 more more against oxford, a total of 9 league goals by October. Then Pleat left under a cloud and as Spurs slipped further down the table, Noco scored only once more in two and a half months. After Christmas he appeared intermittently, scoring just twice against Sheffield Wednesday and Norwich. His career at the Club like spurs season petered out. His new manager Terry Venebles felt he could dispense with the international striker who recorded almost a goal every other start that season and he returned to His native country in 1988 signing for Antwerp for 550k. Claesen was a talented striker whose lack of relative success was caused primarily not so much by his own failings but the success of others in a formation that did not suit his style. Wrong place, wrong time. (written by Alan Fisher, Sporting heroes website)

Where is he now?
Most recently Claesen, who managed 12 goals in 36 international appearances, made the move into managing – taking control of Belgian side Patro Eisden Maasmechelen in 2005 who he managed until 2008. He is currently out of the football world and believed to be unemployed.