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The Dutch have had a huge impact on Scottish football and here Record Sport takes a look at some of the main characters who have crossed the North Sea.
Steve Clarke gave an explanation to former Johan Cruyff when the Scotland coach sat in the stadium named after the Dutch legend before facing the Netherlands in a friendly.
Clarke played with Cruyff as a youngster at St Mirren and the Buddies faced Feyenoord in the UEFA Cup with Ruud Gullit also in a demonstration at Paisley and the dreadlock-wearing wizard would later play a role in Clarke’s career betting alongside him. at Chelsea and then worked with him at Newcastle United.
Neither Cruyff nor Gullit ever played for a Scottish club, it remains one of the wonderful stories of Scottish football that never happened when Cruyff was about to sign for DUMBARTON. . . only to be put off by the weather! He was looking to return to Europe after a stint with the Los Angeles Aztecs, and then Sons boss Sean Fallon made an ambitious attempt to lure him to Boghead.
Years later, Cruyff admitted: “Have I been tempted?Yes, of course. Playing in England, or Great Britain, was all I had ever wanted to do. But I think he was too old at this level to move on to Scotland, where he knows the “It’s going to be a tough climate. When you’re old, you have stiff muscles and moving to a bloodless country is a problem. “
But while we never got the chance to see Cruyff, there were plenty of talented players who brought a classy Dutchman to Scotland, not to mention hugely influential coaches. Here, Record Sport takes a look at some of the ones that have made the biggest impact.
Walter Smith’s successor at Ibrox was going to have huge daily tasks to accomplish, but in Dick Advocaat, the Light Blues appointed an experienced boss with all the attributes. At the time of Smith’s departure in 1998, there was a sense that a strong Disciplinary and Advocaat maxim was needed, nicknamed the Little General in honor of his mentor Rinus Michels, the mythical Dutch coach known as The General. Advocaat swept Scottish football like a whirlwind with David Murray pouring in a big buck and scoring a hat-trick. in his first season and won two more trophies in his second season, which also made Gers competitive in Europe. But things took a turn for the worse in his third season after Martin O’Neill arrived at Celtic and left after a brief promotion. ‘ Paper in Ibrox.
Wim Jansen earned one of the most vital, if not THE most vital, league names in Celtic’s history by preventing Rangers from winning a tenth consecutive title. And few gave him the slightest chance of accomplishing that feat as Walter Smith’s conquering Light Blues prepared for a history-making chance. And after squandering his first league games, it seemed like a chore, however, Jansen, helped in no small part by signing a deal with Henrik Larsson, galvanised his team and led the Hoops to their first name since the club’s centenary. winning the doubleheader before declaring his surprise breakdown at not being able to work with then-supreme Fergus McCann or general manager Jock Brown. Jansen died two years ago at the age of 75 due to dementia.
Given the difficulties in Aberdeen, it’s hard to believe that the Dons would sign players who won the European Cup a few years ago. But that was precisely the situation when they signed Hans Gillhaus from PSV Eindhoven for £650,000 in 1989 and a year later he was heading to the World Cup with the Netherlands thanks to his impressive form in Pittodrie, making an instant splash with two goals (adding an aerial kick) in a 3-0 win over Dunfermline and winning the Scottish Cup in his first season. The striker spent four years in the north-east before returning home to Vitesse.
Celtic used to salvage hidden gems and sell them for huge profits and Virgil van Dijk was a prime example of that. He was signed for just £2. 6m via Groningen and just two years later was sold to Southampton for £13m. On the south coast, Liverpool shelled out a world-record £75m for a defender in which he played a pivotal role.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst, one of the first Dutchmen to arrive as part of Dick Advocaat’s revolution. He signed from Feyenoord and was an integral part of Petit Général’s early successes. His form caught the attention of Arsenal, who shelled out £8. 5m for his services. He then moved to Barcelona, where he won the Champions League and returned to Ibrox as a coach, leading them to the Europa League final and winning the Scottish Cup.
Pierre van Hooijdonk, signed from NAC Breda, is one of Celtic’s Three Amigos, along with Jorge Cadete and Paolo Di Canio, who helped turn the Hoops into a brave team under Tommy Burns. He spent two seasons at Parkhead and managed the Scottish Cup winners home. He last stood against Airdrie in 1995 when the club won its first trophy in six years, but like others at the time, he became embroiled in a monetary dispute with Fergus McCann.
Michael Mols made a spectacular debut in Scotland after arriving from Utrecht in Dick Advocaat’s second season at Ibrox. He scored seven goals in his first five games, adding four in a single game against Motherwell. But a serious knee injury in a Champions League match against Bayern Munich stopped him in his tracks and he once again enjoyed a great fortune with the Light Blues, never to be the same player again after that injury.
Signed from FC Twente, Theo Snelders helped Aberdeen win a domestic cup double in 1989/90 with his penalty saved from Anton Rogan in the 1990 Scottish Cup final, making him the hero against Celtic. Dons and Aberdeen enthusiasts will wonder what would have happened had he been matched to play against Rangers on the final title-deciding day at Ibrox in 1991. Snelders was unavailable after fracturing his cheekbone in a collision. With Ally McCoist in the last game against Gers. Snelders then moved to Ibrox, where he replaced Andy Goram.
Arthur Numan, the star signing of Dick Advocaat’s Dutch revolution, at the time an established Dutch foreigner, arrived at Ibrox in the summer of 1998 after being a key player for the Netherlands to reach the world. semi-finals and only lost by consequences to Brazil in France. He signed from PSV Eindhoven, where he had played with Advocaat and his life experience. He spent five years at Ibrox, winning 10 primary awards.
If there’s one way to become a hero to your fans, it’s to score against your fierce rivals. But scoring FOUR? That’s precisely what Mark De Vries did with the Hearts in his first start with the Jambos, who happened to be rivals of the Hibees. The imposing striker scored many more memorable goals, especially in Bordeaux, before following Craig Levein to Leicester City.
Hesselink’s Jan Vennegoor is a bit stuck and the big striker is also a bit difficult. He spent three years at Parkhead after Gordon Strachan signed him from PSV Eindhoven and scored big goals for Celtic, especially against Rangers in a thrilling title run in 2007. 08 with his header in Tannadice that season, winning the league trophy.
Ronald de Boer battled injuries when he joined Ibrox, but was still a big call-up when he arrived from Barcelona in 2000. The Dutch star was part of the outstanding Ajax team that won the Champions League under Louis van Gaal. His double brother Frank was also part of this team and later joined his brother at Ibrox, although his stint was brief and an unsuccessful season. Ronaldo made a great contribution, especially in the 2002/03 treble season.
Goalkeeper Sieb Dijkstra enjoyed the prestige of a cult hero (perhaps because of his pencil moustache) during his time in Scotland. He spent six seasons split between Motherwell and Dundee United in the 1990s and helped the Steelmen finish third in 1994, just 4 numbers behind the champions Rangers and the Rangers.
Opinions are divided on whether Mark Wotte has made it to SFA after only 3 years of starting a 10-year plan. He appointed Chief Performance Officer and implemented Scotland United’s Strategic Plan: A Vision 2020. A basic detail of this plan is the creation of seven regional functional schools, which allow elite players admitted to these secondary schools from the age of 12 to train 3 hours a day of football. He left saying that he had done everything that Hampden’s bosses had asked of him.
Kevin van Veen scored 29 goals for Motherwell in 2023/24 and in that time scored in 10 consecutive top-flight games – the first Steelmen player to do so since Hugh Ferguson 103 years earlier. The scorer of the goal was a hero of Fir Park. and his exploits led to him being promoted to move to Celtic or Rangers, however, after returning to the Netherlands with Groningen, he returned to Scotland with Kilmarnock.