 in 1988, he gained first-choice status in his second year and, except for one season, never lost it again.He ranked the second most-capped player for the club in the Belgian Pro League, trailing only Franky Van der Elst, and was instrumental in the side's five league conquests (with the addition of as many cups and nine supercups).In December 2003, Verlinden became the oldest footballer ever to play in the UEFA Champions League, aged 40 years and 116 days.