Dutch soccer is known for its adventurous and attacking style of play. It is therefore not surprising that a large number of attackers from the Netherlands are also internationally known by soccer fans.
This article will give you a selection of the best strikers in the Dutch soccer.
Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff is considered by many soccer fans as the best Dutch player ever. The Amsterdam-born Cruyff played during his career 520 matches for Ajax, FC Barcelona, Los Angeles Aztecs, Washington Diplomats, Levante and Feyenoord in which he scored 291 goals. He also played 48 games for the Dutch national team and scored 33 times in those international games.
After his career as player, he was between 1985 and 1996 coach of Ajax Amsterdam and FC Barcelona.
Marco van Basten
The career of Marco van Basten, one of the best Dutch strikers ever, lasted from 1981 to 1995, when he was forced to stop because of an ankle injury. During his career he played for only two clubs: Ajax and AC Milan. Wearing the shirt of the club from Amsterdam, he scored 133 times in 128 league games, while he scored ​​90 goals in 147 matches for the Italians.
He was top scorer in the 1988 European Championship soccer, which the Netherlands also won. He played 58 international matches, scoring 24 times. Nowadays, Marco van Basten is a trainer-coach.
Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit is a contemporary of Marco van Basten and together they celebrated great successes at AC Milan. In the Netherlands, he played for HFC Haarlem and Feyenoord, and after AC Milan he played for Sampdoria and ended his playing career at Chelsea in the English Premier League. He scored 175 goals in 465 league matches, while he made 17 goals for the Dutch national team in 66 international matches.
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp, also known as The Iceman or The Non-Flying Dutchman, played from 1986 to 2006 for Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal. He was particularly known for his stunning technique and beautiful goals. In total, he scored 236 goals in 661 matches. He also played 79 games for the Dutch national team and scored for Holland 37 goals.
He was nicknamed ‘The Non-Flying Dutchman’ because of his fear of flying, so he traveled to many away games by car.
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie (Rotterdam, 6 August 1983) is the first active player in the list of best Dutch attackers. The player started his career at Rotterdam-based Feyenoord and then moved to England, where he first played for Arsenal and currently he is employed by Manchester United.
He is now also captain of the Dutch national team, for which he scored until now 41 goals, making him the top scorer of the Dutch team of all time.
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben (Bayern München) is also still active. He is known for his quick dribbling and unparalleled movements, making it difficult for defenders to stop him. Before joining the German giants, Robben played for FC Groningen and PSV in The Netherlands, Chelsea (England) and Real Madrid (Spain).
The highlight of his career so far, is scoring the winning goal for Bayern Munich during the UEFA Champions League final in 2013 just before the final whistle.
