5 of the Best Moments of Johan Neeskens' Career

Johan Neeskens is number 36 in 90min's Top 50 Greatest Footballers of All Time series.

Ever heard of a little town in the Netherlands called Heemstede? No? Learn some geography, bud. Then learn some football - welcome to the Johan Neeskens Show, baby.

Through rough and tough times at hometown club RHC, completing the Total Football winning machine at Ajax, cementing his legacy at Barcelona and fooling around for a while Stateside, Neeskens ensured that he would be long remembered as one of the finest to play the game.

Here are five of his best moments of his illustrious career...

Three-Peat in the European Cup

Two Eredivisie titles, two Dutch Cups, two UEFA Super Cups, even an Intercontinental Cup - all nice, all shiny, all worth something yeah yeah et cetera et cetera.

What we're really here for is Ajax's three successive European Cup, the first club to complete such a feat since Real Madrid in the competition's inaugural years, the first to do it with the 'big ears' trophy.

Neeskens started in all three triumphs - the 2-0 against Panathinaikos, the 2-0 against Inter (in Feyenoord's back yard), and the 1-0 against Juventus. A right-back in the first win and the engine in the following two, he would have had that little bit more pride in knowing they managed to keep three clean sheets out of three, one of football's first club dynasties.

World Cup Performance vs Brazil

When you have a spare 90 minutes, find a video of the Netherlands' clash with Brazil in 1974.

The World Cup used to consist of two group stages, and in order to advance to the final, Neeskens and co. had to beat reigning champions Brazil in their last game of the latter.

With the score at 0-0 and 50 minutes on the clock, the Oranje's quick free-kick sliced through the Brazilian midfield, with the ball coming to Johan Cruyff on the right flank. His low cross was met by the outstretched leg of Neeskens, who managed to loop the ball up and over the goalkeeper into the net.

Netherlands advanced to their first World Cup final...

​Penalty in 1974 World Cup Final

And that's where Neeskens made his way into immediate global stardom.

Only a minute into the final against hosts Germany, Cruyff collected possession from deep, weaved his way forward, and was brought down just outside the box but awarded a penalty.

Neeskens fired in the opener, chalk flying from the penalty spot from the wallop he gave the ball. 

Unfortunately for him Paul Breitner and Gerd Muller cancelled this out to ensure the hosts won, and the Netherlands might have won had they not scored as early as they did. Tough luck, lads.

Featuring in the Catalan XI vs Soviet Union

Barcelona pride themselves on being Catalonia's club, a symbol of resistance, mes que un club. When Franco's reign ended in the 1970s, the region decided to host a football match to mark the occasion.

The Soviet Union took on a Catalan XI who featured two foreign guests - Cruyff and Neeskens. To have received such a call-up, one which meant far more than football, surely ranks above the latter's achievements at Barça (he only won a Copa del Rey and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup there anyway).

Just Deciding to Play Indoor Football for a Bit

A global icon well into his 30s, Neeskens took his talents to South Florida in the 1980s while the USA was experiencing a soccer boom, having already played for the New York Cosmos earlier in his career.

But then he thought 'ah screw it' and decided to move to the Kansas City Comets - an indoor football team. Because why not, eh? He's Johan f'ing Neeskens, that's why.

90min's 'Top 50 Greatest Footballers of All Time' can be found here. 

Number 50: Luka Modric

Number 49: John Charles

Number 48: Hugo Sanchez

Number 47: Jairzinho

Number 46: Omar Sivori

Number 45: Paolo Rossi

Number 44: Paul Breitner

Number 43: George Weah

Number 42: Kaka

Number 41: Lev Yashin

Number 40: Gunnar Nordahl

Number 39: Kevin Keegan

Number 38: Hristo Stoichkov

Number 37: Gianluigi Buffon