The Dutch Connection

BY: Paushali Mandal                                                                                              

Manchester United has had a long history of Dutch players who turned out to be legends, eventually. Till date, 6 well-known Dutch players have played with the club - Arnold Muhren, Raimond van der Gouw, Jordi Cruyff, Jaap Stam, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Edwin Van Der Sar. It seems United strives well with the presence of atleast one Dutch player in the team.

Let’s look at these players one by one and know about their contributions to this great club.

· Arnold Muhren (1982-85)
He first joined Manchester United in 1982, when he was 31 years old. It was at Old Trafford where the languid Dutchman became the club's first foreign star. He played as a midfielder and made his United debut in the home game against Birmingham City on August 28, 1982. United won that game 3-0. In his first season, he scored 7 goals and helped United win the FA Cup. He lasted only two more seasons as he was transferred back to his home country club Ajax due to home-sickness. He scored 18 goals and made 98 official appearances for United. Due to his elegance and impeccable reading of the game, Muhren is fondly remembered for his years in England.



·                                                  Raimond van der Gouw (1996-2002)
After a successful career with Vitesse, then 33-year old Raimond played his first game for United in 1996. It was a match against Aston Villa on the 21st of September. The game ended in a draw 0-0. Van der Gouw's experience played a part in United's successes, both as a player and as goalkeeping coach at the club. The goalkeeper made a mere 37 appearances in his six seasons at United. His most remembered appearance was against Borussia Dortmund in the semi-final of the 1996-97 UEFA Champions League, where he replaced Peter Schmeichel as the latter had met with an injury minutes before kick-off. Though United lost the game 1-0, Raimond helped keep the score down. Unfortunately for him, he could not fill the gap left behind by the legend Peter Schmeichel. Van der Gouw's experience played a part in United's successes, both as a player and as goalkeeping coach at the club.

· Jordi Cruyff (1996-2000)

This talented forward made his debut with Barcelona and was part of the team who defeated Manchester United 4-0 in the Champions League finals in 1994. After Barcelona sacked his father, Cryuff signed for United in 1996 and made an impressive debut with a 3-0 win over Wimbledon on August 17th. During the time he had suffered a knee injury in the very same season, the Reds were going through a very difficult time losing several crucial matches across different competitions. With his return, the team gained a formidable composure. During his four years at United, he played a total of 54 games and scored eight goals. Many United fans still remember him as a great footballer.



· Jaap Stam (1998-2001)

Possibly Ferguson's best defensive acquisition since Steve Bruce, Jaap Stam was a central defender who was calm, and possessed excellent positional skills and tackling ability, yet he was also blessed with pace and power too. In 1998, Stam became the then most expensive Dutch football player in history and the most expensive defender in history, when Manchester United bought him for £10.6 million His debut game was the FA Charity Shield against Arsenal on August 9th. Though United lost to Arsenal by 3 goals, his performance was noticed by many football fans around the world. Stam spent three seasons at Manchester United, during which time United won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup, the Intercontinental Cup and the UEFA Champions League. His only goal for the club was against Leicester City in a 6-2 away victory. He was without doubt the rock at the heart of a solid United defence. He was part of the prestigious treble season of United.



· Ruud Van Nistelrooy (2001-2006)

The extremely talented forward was signed by Manchester United for a then stunning sum of £19 million. During his first season, Van Nistelrooy scored an impressive 23 goals in 32 league games. He broke the record he shared with Mark Stein, Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry, by scoring in eight consecutive league games. He was the first Man United and Premiership player to score in 10 successive games. The following season, he finished as the top Premier League scorer with 25 in 34 games, including three hat-tricks, and he ended the season on another eight-game scoring streak. He scored a total of 150 goals in 220 appearances during his time with United. Seemingly, he could score any goal from anywhere, and Premier League defences breathed a huge sigh of relief when Van Nistelrooy joined real Madrid in 2006 due to a supposed rift between him and Sir Alex. Till date, nobody has been able to break his 38 goal-record in a single season. Class.



· Edwin Van Der Sar (2005–2011)After failing to get a perfect replacement for Schmeichel following his retirement in 1999, Sir Alex Ferguson spotted this diamond playing for Fulham. He made an offer for him, which his club accepted and the famous goalkeeper came to Old Trafford in 2005. The two differ in style; Schmeichel was famed for bellowing at his back four as well as his brilliant saves. Edwin, however, uses his experience and calm assurance to great effect. Matching Barthez for shot-stopping ability, the 40-year-old has never been prone to the same rushes of blood to the head, and his reassuring presence has gone a long way in United equalling Chelsea's record of ten consecutive Premier League clean sheets. He helped United win the Champions League for the first time since Schmeichel left in 1999. His spot-kick stop from Nicolas Anelka in the 2008 final in Moscow is forever etched in Red history. The Flying Dutchman will forever be remembered for his invaluable services to United.

So The Question Is: Who Will Be The Next Red From Holland?
Is it going to be highly rated Inter Milan midfielder, Wesley Sneijder who has been strongly linked with the Old Trafford outfit, We are hoping it would be him!