MY ACCOUNT
Dutch football has been a breeding ground for world-class talent with a number of superstars emerging over the last few decades.
We have picked five of the best players to have plied their trade in the Eredivisie before leaving in the past 30 years.
Dennis Bergkamp (Ajax 1986-1993)
A bona fide Arsenal legend, Dennis Bergkamp wowed Ajax fans long before he rocked up on these shores.
Bergkamp spent seven years in the first-team in Amsterdam after coming up through the academy and was a goalscoring machine.
He netted 122 times in 237 appearances, winning both a league title and UEFA Cup before moving to Inter Milan.
After two seasons in Italy, Bergkamp moved to North London and over the next 11 years established himself as a Gunners legend.
A master with the ball at his feet, his goal against Newcastle has gone down as one of the best in Premier League history.
Edwin van der Sar (Ajax 1990-1999)
Over a 21-year career, Edwin van der Sar established himself as the greatest Dutch keeper of all time.
He spent the first nine seasons of that as Ajax’s undisputed No1, playing 312 times, keeping 139 clean sheets and even scoring a goal for his boyhood club.
He had spells at Juventus and Fulham before ending his career with six mightily successful years at Manchester United.
A high-class shot-stopper who used his height to command his box, Van der Sar picked up 130 caps for his country.
The Dutchman racked up eight league titles and two Champions League triumphs over the course of his career.
Edgar Davids (Ajax 1991-1996)
Born in Suriname before moving to Holland as a youngster, Edgar Davids quickly became a star after making his Ajax debut as an 18-year-old.
Though he was a skillful footballer, Davids earned the nickname ‘The Pitbull’ from Louis van Gaal for his tenacity in the middle of the park.
As well as winning three successive Eredivisie titles between 1994 and 1996, Davids also lifted the UEFA Cup, Champions League, Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup in his first spell at the club.
Though he struggled in Serie A when he first moved to AC Milan in 1996, a subsequent switch to Juventus brought out the best in him.
And he enjoyed another stint at Ajax at the end of his career after spells at Barcelona, Tottenham and Inter Milan.
Ronaldo (PSV 1994-1996)
It was during a two-year spell at PSV Eindhoven that Brazil striker Ronaldo became a worldwide star.
After moving to Holland as an 18-year-old, the rapid striker ripped up the Dutch top-flight and made opposition defences look silly.
He scored 35 goals in 36 games in his first campaign and had scored 19 in 21 when a serious knee injury curtailed his second one.
A world-record move to Barca followed as he won the 1997 Ballon d’Or award before a brace in the 2002 World Cup final saw him win it again after he joined Real Madrid.
Knee injuries and weight problems dogged the end of his career but Ronaldo’s impact on the game had already been made.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Ajax 2001-2004)
It is 17 years since Zlatan Ibrahimovic left Ajax for Juventus as a 22-year-old and he continues to star at the highest level.
Signed from Malmo, Ibrahimovic spent three years in the Dutch capital, winning two titles and scoring 48 goals for Ajax.
He swapped the Netherlands for Juventus and Italy in 2004, spending two years in Turin before spells at Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, LA Galaxy and Milan again.
Always wanted by the biggest and best clubs, Ibrahimovic scored his 400th domestic league goal recently with a clever free-kick against Roma.
And he is just four games away from his 800th club appearance and 13 away from his 500th club goal — a true legend.
