Ranking the Top 15 Dutch Footballers | All Time

Dutch football is always seen as a resemblance to beautiful football and the names which Dutch land has produced in history justify these claims with flying colours. Some of the greatest talents that the world has ever seen came from Dutch land. Not just players but some of the all-time great coaches also come from Dutch. Dutch has seen so much talent that it’s so hard to put footballers like Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder into the top 15 list.

Dutch footballers are known for their technical skills, creativity, impressive vision, and passion & hunger for success and greatness. From Johan Cruyff to Virgil Van Dijk, the list of top Dutch footballers is filled with talented individuals gifted with impressive defending, goal-scoring abilities, and playmaking skills. In this list, we will be looking at the top 15 Dutch footballers of all time:

List of Top 15 Dutch Footballers of All Time

15. Piet Keizer

Piet Keizer was a cult figure on the left wing for the Dutch side from 1962 to 1974 where represented his country 34 times. The legendary Dutch footballer spent his entire club career with Ajax where he played an important role in the club’s dominance from the 1960s to 1970s with his exceptional skills as a winger, making him one of the best players in Ajax’s history.

14. Johnny Rep

With more than 428 club appearances, Johnny Rep was a very high-profile player of his time. He scored 150 goals in his clubs career for clubs like Ajax, Valencia, Saint-Etienne, Feyenoord, and Haarlem. Rep represented the Netherlands for 42 matches where he netted 12 goals. He holds the record for most goals scored by a Dutch footballer in FIFA World Cup with 7 goals making him one of the best Dutch footballers ever.

13. Edgar Davids

Edgar Davids was a very extravagant player of his time and was known for his power, speed, exceptional stamina, and vision to switch plays from attacking to defensive or defensive to attacking. For the Dutch side, he played 74 matches and scored 6 goals. Throughout his club career, he made more than 420 club appearances and scored 32 goals but his most career-defining stint was in Serie A with Juventus where he spent 7 years, making him one of the best Dutch footballers of all time.

12. Faas Wilkes

Faas Wilkes was considered as one of the fiercest Dutch strikers of his time, scoring an astonishing 35 goals in 38 caps for the Dutch national team. With more than 450 club appearances, Wilkes consistently left defenders behind with his skilful dribbling, making him one of the best Dutch players ever. During his illustrious career, he played for several big clubs like Inter Milan and Valencia.

11. Rob Rensenbrink

In his entire career, Rob Rensenbrink only missed two penalties which speaks volumes of his greatness and calmness in front of the goal. He was known for his dribbling and cool finishing. With over 460 club appearances, Rob Rensenbrink played as a winger/ forward and netted 208 goals. For his country, he earned 46 caps and scored 14 goals, making him one of the greatest Dutch footballers of all time.

10. Edwin van der Sar

Edwin van der Sar was known for his athletic body and long reach during his playing days. With more than 600 club appearances to his name, he added a new perspective to traditional goalkeeping by coming out of line and playing with feet. During his professional career, Edwin played for several elite clubs like Ajax, Juventus, and Manchester United and won over 26 club trophies as a goalkeeper. Edwin earned 130 caps for the Dutch national team and is considered one of the greatest Dutch footballers of all time.

9. Arjen Robben

Arjen Robben is often regarded as one of the best wingers of this generation. With over 426 appearances, he played for clubs like Groningen, PSV, Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich but his stint with Bayern Munich rejuvenated his career. He made over 200 appearances, scored 99 goals, and won 8 Bundesliga titles. Throughout his career, Robben always made headlines for his speed, dribbling, long-range shots, and agility. For the Dutch national team, he netted 37 goals in 96 caps.

8. Clarence Seedorf

Clarence Seedorf was known for his versatility as well as for his robust physicality during his playing days. His career spanned from 1992 to 2014 where he played for clubs like Ajax, Real Madrid, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Botafogo. Seedof made over 650 club appearances and 107 goals in his career but his stint with AC Milan was the most successful phase where he won 2 Serie A titles and 2 UEFA Champions League titles. For his county, he earned 87 caps and netted 11 goals.

7. Frank Rijkaard

Frank Rijkaard was face of Dutch football during ’80s and early ’90s and his hairstyle still remains one of the most iconic in football history. The Dutch star made over 400 club appearances and score 75 goals in his club career. Franklin Rijkaard played as a defensive midfielder his entire career for clubs like Ajax and AC Milan. For the country, he played 73 matches and scored 10 goals. The defensive midfielder, Rijkaard was known for his man-to-man marking, defensive capabilities, and keen eyes to move the ball.

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6. Ronald Koeman

The current generation recognises Ronald Koeman as a great manager but he is also one of the big stars of Dutch football history. The former FC Barcelona manager scored over 250 goals to his name in his professional career. His most notable stint was with Barcelona in Spain where he played 192 games and scored 67 goals. For the Dutch national team, he scored 14 goals in 78 matches. After retiring, he came back to manage Barcelona in 2020.

5. Denis Bergkamp

Denis Bergkamp’s name is familiar to Ajax and Arsenal fans for his stint with the club. With more than 552 club appearances, he scored 201 goals in his club career and was considered one of the very few players who needed a few touches to score. The Arsenal legend earned 79 caps for the Dutch side and scored 37 goals.

4. Johan Neeskens

Johannes Jacobus Neeskens is considered one greatest Dutch midfielder of all time and his stats speak for himself. For his country, he earned 49 caps and netted 17 goals. His work ethic on the field was highly regarded as he used to work tirelessly and was a box-to-box midfielder. Neeskens spent most of his career at Ajax and FC Barcelona and is one of the fewest players to make more than 100 appearances for both clubs. The Ajax and Barcelona legend finished his career with more than 500 appearances and 100+ goals in his club career which is a big achievement as a midfielder.

3. Ruud Gullit

Ruud Gullit is one of the rare football geniuses who excelled at any given position, he played as a defender, midfielder, and sometimes as a forward. With over 470 club appearances and scoring 174 goals, Gullit played for several elite clubs like PSV, AC Milan, and Chelsea, making him one of the greatest Dutch football players. Gullit earned 66 caps for the Dutch national team and netted 17 goals.

2. Marco van Basten

Marco van Basten is known as one of the most prolific goalscorers in the history of football and had a goals-per-game ratio of 0.99 which is truly impressive. Basten has spent the majority of his professional club career with Ajax and AC Milan, where he scored 218 goals in 280 matches. Although his club career was cut short due to repeated ankle injuries, his achievements are still unmatched.

1. Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff can be called as father of ‘Modern Football’, known for his genius control over the ball, dribbling, and speed, Cruff not only changed history as a player but left a mark as a manager. With three Ballon d’Or to his name, Cruyff enjoyed a remarkable career spanning over 20 years playing for elite clubs like Ajax and Barcelona where won more than 22 club trophies. Johan also won 14 club trophies as a manager making him one of the greatest managers of all time. For his country, he earned 48 caps and scored 33 goals making him one of the greatest Dutch footballers of all time.

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