AFC Ajax Best Players Of All Time

AFC Ajax has unarguably been one of the best teams in Europe and the very best in the Netherlands. The club has produced several top-quality players including popular football icon Johan Cruyff who played for the Dutch club and also for FC Barcelona.

A bedrock for excellence, it might surprise you to know that some or most of the best football players in history have had some connection with AFC Ajax, and a lot of them even adorning the Ajax shirt.

In this article, I will be sharing with you some of the best AFC Ajax Best players of all time.

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1. Johan Cruyff

• Full name: Petrus Johannes Keizer
• Date of birth: 14th June 1943
• Age at death: 73 years
• Place of birth: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Trophies: 12

First on our list is football icon, Johan Cruyff.

Hendrik Johannes Cruijff, known for short as Johan Cruyff is regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time, Cruyff epitomized the “Total Football” philosophy at Ajax.

He had won numerous domestic titles and three consecutive European Cups with the club in the early 1970s.

2. Frank Rijkaard

• Full name: Franklin Edmundo Rijkaard
• Date of birth: 30th September 1962
• Age: 60 years (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Trophies: 12

Another great football player on this list, Frank Edmundo Rijkaard was unplayable during his time at AFC Ajax as a football player.

A skillful midfielder, he was part of the team and played a significant role in Ajax’s dominance in the late 1980s.

He won multiple league titles and played a pivotal role in their European Cup triumphs in 1987 and 1995.

Rijkaard is one of the few football players that most football players would have loved to see play alongside Johan Cruyff at Ajax. However, both played at different times. And while Rijkaard played in the late 1980s, Cruyff played in the early 1970s.

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3. Marco van Basten

• Full name: Marcel van Basten
• Date of birth: 31st October 1964
• Age: 58 years (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Utrecht, Netherlands
• Trophies: 7

A top football player, Marcel Van Basten played for several football clubs including the likes of AC Milan, the Netherlands national team, and AFC Ajax.

Marco Van Basten was a prolific goal scorer and one of the key figures in Ajax’s success in the 1980s.

During his time, he helped the club to win several trophies and titles, including three Eredivisie titles and he also played a key role in their European Cup triumph in 1987.

4. Piet Keizer

• Full name: Petrus Johannes Keizer
• Date of birth: 14th June 1943
• Date of death: 10th February 2017
• Age at death: 73 years
• Place of birth: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Trophies: 15

Piet Keizer was an exceptional left winger and an integral part of the successful Ajax team of the late 1960s and early 1970s, which was known for “Total Football”.

He is one of the “lucky” football players that played with football icon, Johan Cruyff.

He played a crucial role in the team’s campaign, helping the club win several trophies, including several domestic trophies, and a lot of other exploits they did in Europe.

Piet Keizer appeared in over 490 official matches for AFC Ajax and he ended up scoring 189 goals for the Sons of God.

5. Dennis Bergkamp

• Full name: Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp
• Date of birth: 10th May 1969
• Age: 53 years (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Trophies: 6

Born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp is a former professional football player and coach.

One of the best players of his generation, Dennis Bergkamp is one of the AFC Ajax best players of all time. He remains the only Dutchman ever to be inducted into the FIFA Hall of Fame.

However, unlike most of the other players on this list, Bergamp spent most of his playing days at Arsenal, where he won several trophies.

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Before leaving for Arsenal, he had played for his boyhood club, AFC Ajax where he had helped them to win several trophies, including one Eredivisie and two KNVB Cups.

6. Jari Litmanen

• Full name: Jari Olavi Litmanen
• Date of birth: 20th February 1971
• Age: 52 years (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Lahti, Finland
• Trophies: 14

Currently regarded as one of the best Finnish football players of the last 50 years by the Football Association of Finland, Jari Litmanen just had it all as a football player.

Jari Olavi Litmanen was an attacking midfielder who played for several football clubs and teams.

He played with the Finnish national team where he became captain between and 2008, he played for Lahti and MyPa in Finland, FC Barcelona in Spain, Liverpool in England, Hansa Rostock, Malmo FF, and of course, AFC Ajax where he ended up being named as their best player in the 1993 season.

Jari Litmanen had two spells at AFC Ajax. One from 1992 to 1999, and the other from 2002 to 2004.

Although stats seem to show that his first spell from the 1992 league season to the 1999 league season seems to be far better than the second spell. He scored 136+ goals and won …. trophies for the Sons of God.

7. Johan Neeskens

• Full name: Johannes Jacobus Neeskens
• Date of birth: 15th September 1951
• Age: 71 years (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Heemstede, Netherlands
• Trophies: 10

Seventh on our list is Dutch international, Johan Neeskens.

Johannes Jacobus Neeskens, known as Johan Neeskens was a versatile midfielder and he played for AFC Ajax and the Netherlands national team.

Mostly remembered for his exploits with AFC Ajax, Johannes Neeskens was a vital cog in Ajax’s success during the 1970s. He played alongside Cruyff and helped the team win several domestic titles, including three European Cups.

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8. Edwin van der Sar

• Full name: Edwin van der Sar
• Date of birth: 29th October 1970
• Age: 52 years (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Voorhout, Netherlands
• Trophies: 15

One of the best goalkeepers of his generation, Van der Sar was a rock at the back for AFC Ajax, during his time at the club.

Edwin Van der Sar is one of the names highly rated at Ajax, and this is due to the exploits he had made, not just at the Dutch club, but in his career.

Starting out his senior career with de Godenzonen, Edwin Van der Sar, or Van der Sar as he was popularly known later moved to AFC Ajax.

And it was not until he signed for Ajax that he became pretty much popular before he made the move to Manchester United in England.

He played for 9 years at Ajax, in what had been a successful spell and he ended up winning several trophies for the Dutch club.

9. Ruud Krol

• Full name: Rudolf Jozef Krol
• Date of birth: 24th March 1949
• Age: 74 years (as of 2023)
• Place of birth: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Trophies: 16

Born in Amsterdam, Rudolf Jozef Krol is the ninth player on our list of AFC Ajax’s best players of all time. A joy to watch, Rudolf Jozef Krol was a dependable defender and he was a rock at the back of the Ajax defense.

He was one of the players who led the defensive line for AFC Ajax in the 1970s striking a formidable partnership with Franz Beckenbauer, a partnership that produced a lot of trophies for the club.

One of the things that set Rudolf Josef Krol off the rest was that he could play with both, making it look like the strong feet were both.

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He could also play across various positions in the AFC Ajax backline, and he was sometimes used in midfield positions, especially the DM position, due to his defensive abilities.

Conclusion

These nine players represent the rich history and tradition of Ajax Amsterdam, showcasing their incredible skill, success, and contribution to the club’s rich legacy.

The players on this list are in no order and being number 9 or 8 on this list does not in any way mean that the player had a lower significance at the club.