NAC recall Rat Verlegh’s final appearance 95 years on

NAC Breda have marked the 95th anniversary of Antoon ‘Rat’ Verlegh’s final appearance for the club, which came against MVV on 11 October 1931. The retrospective was published before NAC’s home meeting with the Maastricht side on Friday 9 October 2026.

Verlegh had initially ended his playing career on 30 August 1931, following a 4-2 friendly victory over Ajax at NAC’s new ground on Heuvelstraat in Princenhage. An early-season injury to midfielder Cor Kools prompted the club to ask Verlegh to remain available, first as a substitute and then as a starter.

His eventual farewell came away to MVV, with NAC making the journey by coach rather than train for the first time. Although better known as an attack-minded player, Verlegh lined up at the back. NAC won 3-1 through goals from Jan Lucassen, A. van Ierssel and Jacques Piederiet, while former NAC player and MVV icon Bèr Felix scored for the hosts.

Verlegh remained closely engaged after the match. Eleven days later, he wrote the game’s report for the NAC Klok and was critical despite the victory, particularly of the attack. According to NAC’s account, he preferred purposeful, well-constructed football over winning while playing poorly — an outlook the club presents as evidence of his continuing sense of responsibility for NAC’s development, even after his final game.