Unquestionably one of the greatest players in the game's history, Hendrik Johannes Cruyff, known as Johan, was born in Amsterdam in 1947 and came through the youth ranks at his local club, Ajax. Making his debut at the age of just 17, he would become a legend at the club over a decade of unprecendented success.
Cruyff's first spell at Ajax lasted from 1964 until 1973, during which time the club won an incredible six league titles in eight seasons between 1965 and 1973. With Cruyff as their inspiration, Ajax also won four Dutch Cups and three European Cups in succession in 1971, 1972 and 1973. Twice Cruyff finished as top scorer in the Dutch league, four times he was named Dutch Footballer of the Year and twice European Footballer of the Year.
Early in the 1973-74 season, Cruyff left the Netherlands to join Spanish giants Barcelona, and in his first season at the club helped them to the Spanish League title. Becoming European Footballer of the Year again, he inspired the Dutch national team to the final in their first ever World Cup appearance in West Germany in 1974, but the team fell at the final hurdle when the hosts defeated them 2-1.
After winning the Spanish Cup in 1978, Cruyff declined to go to the 1978 World Cup in Argentina and watched at home as the Dutch team again reached the final without him. After announcing his retirement in 1978, the lure of the big money North American Soccer League was too much to resist and he joined the Los Angeles Aztecs in 1979 before moving on to the Washington Diplomats, becoming the league's Most Valuable Player with both clubs.
After a short, unsuccessful stay with unfashionable Spanish side Levante in 1981, Cruyff returned to Ajax and won another two Dutch titles and one Dutch Cup in a two year stay. In 1983, he stunned Dutch football by joining Ajax's fierce rivals Feyenoord, being named player of the year at the age of 37 after leading the club to a league and cup double.
Moving into management with Ajax in 1985, Cruyff led the club to back to back Cup wins and success in the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1987, before becoming manager of Barcelona a year later. In an incredibly successful eight year spell in charge, Barcelona won four league titles in a row from 1991 to 1994 as well as the Spanish Cup, the European Cup Winners' Cup and the European Cup for the first and only time in their history. After retiring due to health problems, Cruyff remains an important figure behind the scenes at Barcelona.
