11-02-2015, 23:07
Lets go way back to the first Dutch players coming to play here, couple of guys who came to Ipswich Town in I think 1978 Frans Thijssen and Arnold Muhren, both won the UEFA cup with Ipswich in 1981 part of Bobby Robsons awesome side (shouldve won the title), Thijssen won the player of the year award whilst Muhren would join Man Utd, in fact Muhren later returned to Ajax and won the European Championships with Holland in 1988 at 38 years of age.
The next Dutch player I recall is the Goalkeeper Hans Van Breukelen who replaced the legendary Peter Shilton at Nottingham Forest for two years after signing from mid-table Utrecht. After falling foul of Clough despite his fine form for the club he joined PSV Eindhoven who he stayed with til he retired in 1994, along the way winning the European Cup in 1988 and the European Championship in 188.
a Tubby Dane was signed by Liverpool from Ajax, his name was Jan Molby, sadly underappreciated these days when compiling `legends` lists but anyone who remembers him would possibly say the greatest passer of a ball Liverpool ever had
Skip forward to 1994 when it became the in vogue thing for the new Premier league to sign foreign and world cup stars
Look at the big three in Holland and some of the stars that played for them over the early to mid nineties, many gracing the premier league
Ajax: Frank and Ronald de Boer, Michael reizeiger, Wim Jonk, Winston Bogarde, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, Marc Overmars, Finidi George, Dennis Bergkamp, Bryan Roy, Nwanko Kanu, Edwin Van der Saar, Jari Litmanen, Patrick Kluivert, Frank Rijkkaard
PSV: Andre Ooijer, Romario, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, Arthur Numan, Luc Nillis, Gilles de Bilde, Jaap Stam, Phillip Cocu, Bouwedijn Zenden, Wim Jonk,
Feyenoord: John De Wolf, Ed de Goey, Ulrich Van Gobbel, Peter Van Vossen, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, Ronald Koeman
Overall its not bad, a few duds but probably no worse than any other league, I dont really accept the slower pace thing as Italy for example is a lot more of crawl speed and how many Strikers from Italy have come good bar Giafranco Zola? -Vialli, Mancini, Maccarone, Balotelli, Cashiragi, etc had a moment but never set anything really on fire
Hope the article was interesting anyway
The next Dutch player I recall is the Goalkeeper Hans Van Breukelen who replaced the legendary Peter Shilton at Nottingham Forest for two years after signing from mid-table Utrecht. After falling foul of Clough despite his fine form for the club he joined PSV Eindhoven who he stayed with til he retired in 1994, along the way winning the European Cup in 1988 and the European Championship in 188.
a Tubby Dane was signed by Liverpool from Ajax, his name was Jan Molby, sadly underappreciated these days when compiling `legends` lists but anyone who remembers him would possibly say the greatest passer of a ball Liverpool ever had
Skip forward to 1994 when it became the in vogue thing for the new Premier league to sign foreign and world cup stars
Look at the big three in Holland and some of the stars that played for them over the early to mid nineties, many gracing the premier league
Ajax: Frank and Ronald de Boer, Michael reizeiger, Wim Jonk, Winston Bogarde, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids, Marc Overmars, Finidi George, Dennis Bergkamp, Bryan Roy, Nwanko Kanu, Edwin Van der Saar, Jari Litmanen, Patrick Kluivert, Frank Rijkkaard
PSV: Andre Ooijer, Romario, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, Arthur Numan, Luc Nillis, Gilles de Bilde, Jaap Stam, Phillip Cocu, Bouwedijn Zenden, Wim Jonk,
Feyenoord: John De Wolf, Ed de Goey, Ulrich Van Gobbel, Peter Van Vossen, Giovanni Van Bronckhorst, Ronald Koeman
Overall its not bad, a few duds but probably no worse than any other league, I dont really accept the slower pace thing as Italy for example is a lot more of crawl speed and how many Strikers from Italy have come good bar Giafranco Zola? -Vialli, Mancini, Maccarone, Balotelli, Cashiragi, etc had a moment but never set anything really on fire
Hope the article was interesting anyway