Top 10 greatest players of all time: AFC Ajax

In this article, we present to you our pick of the ten greatest-ever male players to ever represent AFC Ajax.

Ajax Amsterdam are the most successful side in the Netherlands. The record Eredivisie and KNVB Cup winners are also one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the world. 

Since their inception back in 1900, de Godenzonen have gone on to break numerous records both domestically and continentally. With such a rich and storied history, there have been many greats over the years who have donned the famous white-and-red Ajax jersey. 

For this list, we’ve taken a very specific set of criteria into account:

• Impact
• Longevity
• Statistics
• Trophies

#10 Wim Suurbier

Considered one of the greatest right-backs of all time, Wim Suurbier was part of Ajax’s golden generation of the early 1970s. He spent 13 seasons at the club and played a key part in Ajax’s “Total Football” team of the decade that lifted the European Cup three times in a row between 1971 and 1973.

Known for his pace and stamina, Suurbier was a regular starter for an Ajax team that won seven Eredivisie titles among other trophies. He made 392 appearances for the club before joining German Bundesliga side FC Schalke 04 in 1977.

#9 Johan Neeskens

Johan Neeskens is considered one of the greatest midfielders of all time. He was a crucial member of the Netherlands national team that finished as runners-up in the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cups, as well as the heartbeat of Ajax’s “Total Football” era in the ’70s.

A box-to-box midfielder with incredible stamina, great mentality, and a knack for scoring goals, Neeskens excelled at regaining possession and setting off attacks for his teammates. He won three straight European Cups with Ajax in 1971, 1972, and 1973, also lifting two Eredivisie titles, two KNVB Cups, an Intercontinental Cup, and two European Super Cups.

A year after Johan Cruyff left for FC Barcelona, Neeskens followed in his footsteps to make the switch to Camp Nou. 

#8 Frank de Boer

Another product of the famous Ajax youth academy, Frank de Boer was a vital member of Ajax’s Champions League–winning squad of 1995. He would go on to make 328 appearances for the club between 1988 and 1999.

A versatile, intelligent, and elegant left-footed defender, with an ability to read the game and intercept loose balls, De Boer was capable of playing both on the left and in the centre of defence and would even be deployed as a sweeper on occasions. 

De Boer won five Eredivisie titles, two KNVB Cups, three Super Cups, one Super Cup, one UEFA Cup and Champions League title each, and one Intercontinental Cup with Ajax. As a manager, he helped the club win four consecutive Eredivisie titles from 2010/11 to 2013/14. 

#7 Ruud Krol

One of the most famous defenders not only in Ajax but also Netherlands history, Ruud Krol was part of the famous team that won three back-to-back European Cups.

Krol made 339 appearances for Ajax between 1968 and 1980, captaining the club in his last seven years there after the departures of Johan Cruyff, Johan Neeskens, and Piet Keizer.

Krol was so versatile that he could also slot in as a sweeper or a defensive midfielder, which he did on multiple occasions for Ajax. He won six Eredivisie titles, four KNVB Cups, three European Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, and one Intercontinental Cup with Ajax. 

#6 Jari Litmanen

Jari Litmanen was the first Finnish player to ever play for Ajax and the first from his country to ever win the Champions League as the Dutch side lifted the Big Ears in 1995. 

A journeyman who played for over a dozen clubs, Litmanen’s enjoyed his best days at Ajax. The attacking midfielder joined the club in 1992 and went on to make 159 appearances for them, scoring 91 goals and winning 14 trophies in his seven-year stay in Amsterdam.

Also read: SSC Napoli’s top 10 greatest players of all time

#5 Sjaak Swart

A true one-club man, Sjaak Swart played 596 matches for Ajax in his career—a club record. A prolific winger who dazzled opposition players with his pace, trickery, and clinical finishing, Swart is still third in the club’s all-time goalscorers list with 228 goals, behind only Piet van Reenen and Johan Cruyff. 

Nicknamed “Mr. Ajax”, he was a crucial part of the club’s European Cup victories in 1971, 1972, and 1973. Swart also won seven Eredivisie titles, five KNVB Cups, two European Super Cups, one Intertoto Cup, and an Intercontinental Cup with Ajax.

#4 Marco van Basten

Three-time Ballon d’Or winner Marco van Basten is one of the greatest strikers in football history. He won three league titles and one European trophy with Ajax before moving on to AC Milan, where he won his three Ballons d’Or while helping the club to win the European Cup twice.

The Ajax and Milan legend scored 219 goals in 281 games across all competitions at club level. Among those, 128 came at Ajax from just 133 appearances between 1981 and 1987. The Dutch maestro won three Eredivisie titles, three KNVB Cups, and one European Cup Winners’ Cup with Ajax. 

After scoring 300 goals as a professional footballer, Van Basten played the last game of his career at the age of 28, when he suffered an injury that forced him to retire from the game well before his time.

#3 Frank Rijkaard

Amsterdam-born Frank Rijkaard lived every local boy’s dream when he made his senior debut with Ajax in 1980. He was a tough-tackling midfielder who provided the perfect balance to the team’s attacking flair.

Rijkaard stayed at Ajax for seven years in his first stint, making 205 appearances and also scoring 47 goals. After stints with Sporting CP and AC Milan, he returned to Ajax in 1993 for two years, leading them to a famous Champions League win in the 1994/95 season.

In all, Rijkaard won 12 trophies at Ajax, including five Eredivisie titles and the 1994/95 UCL title.

#2 Piet Keizer

Keizer was one of the stars of the Ajax team that dominated Dutch football in the late ’60s and early ’70s. A left-winger, Keizer possessed superb dribbling skills and an eye for goal. 

Keizer played a total of 490 official matches for Ajax, scoring 189 goals between 1961 and 1974 and winning three consecutive European Cups (1971, 1972, 1973). Additionally, he won six Eredivisie titles, five KNVB Cups, two European Super Cups, one Intercontinental Cup, and two Intertoto Cups.

In many people’s eyes, Keizer’s talent was overshadowed by the genius of Johan Cruyff, but he’s still considered one of the greatest Dutch players of all time.

#1 Johan Cruyff

Widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, Johan Cruyff was the heartbeat of Ajax in the 1970s. He was the catalyst to them winning three consecutive European Cups from 1971 to 1973 and also led the Netherlands to the World Cup final in 1974. 

A proponent of the football philosophy known as Total Football developed by Rinus Michels, Cruyff was the team orchestrator, with his creative playmaking ability helping the team unlock opposition defences. 

The three-time Ballon d’Or winner left Ajax to move to FC Barcelona for a world-record fee (€1.9 million) in 1973, with his nine years at Amsterdam yielding 18 trophies, including eight Eredivisie titles.