Leo Ehlen

Leo Ehlen (20 May 1953 – 10 February 2016) was a Dutch football player.

Leo Ehlen

Ehlen (left) tripping Ajax' Søren Lerby in May 1982
Personal information
Full name	Petrus Leonardus Ehlen
Date of birth	(1953-05-20)20 May 1953
Place of birth	Broeksittard, Netherlands
Date of death	10 February 2016(2016-02-10) (aged 62)
Place of death	Sittard, Netherlands
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
	Almania
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1974–1975	Fortuna SC
1975–1984	Roda JC	233	(6)
1984–1985	Waterschei
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

A tough-tackling defender or defensive midfielder, Ehlen started his professional career with Fortuna SC and joined Roda JC in 1975,^[1] where he played alongside Dick Nanninga, Pierre Vermeulen and Theo de Jong. Nicknamed the Neeskens of Roda after Holland hard man Johan Neeskens, Ehlen scored 6 goals in 233 official matches for the club^[2] and left them after nine years for a spell with Belgian side Waterschei.

He later played for amateur team EHC.^[3]

Personal life and death

After retiring, Ehlen owned a bar in Broeksittard.^[4]

He died in February 2016, aged 62. He had suffered from a kidney disease.^[5] He was survived by his wife and son.^[6] A minute silence was observed in his memory before kick-off of Roda's home game against FC Twente three days later.^[7]