BEFORE the Class of ‘92’s crowning moment, it was Ajax’s Academy of Total Football that stole the march and produced a team of homegrown stars that conquered Europe.
Edwin van der Sar, twins Frank and Ronald de Boer, Clarence Seedorf, Edgar Davids and Patrick Kluivert all burst on to the scene to start a stunning era for Dutch football.
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Michael Reiziger was another huge name and part of that group that lifted the 1995 Champions League trophy and reached the following year’s final.
He went on to play with legends such as Robert Baggio, George Weah and Paolo Maldini at AC Milan before an incredible seven-year stint at Barcelona.
Alongside Brazilian magician Rivaldo, Bulgarian striker Hristo Stoitchkov and Pep Guardiola, Reiziger claimed two LaLiga crowns as they twice toppled the Galacticos from Real Madrid.
Having won everything with both Ajax and Barca, he looked to achieve the same when he surprisingly decided to leave the Camp Nou for Steve McClaren’s ambitious Middlesbrough.
Though his brief foray in the Premier League did not last long, and after just six months he was on his way back home with PSV.
As injuries began to take their toll, he signed off his playing career by adding another Eredivisie title to his collection before hanging up his boots in 2007.
It was a playing career and CV that anybody would have been proud of, however, like the rest of that great and fiery Dutch side, their inability to deliver silverware for their nation still hurts.
And it’s that failure that is fuelling the flames deep inside of the now Holland Under-21 boss to hopefully kickstart another Dutch revolution – starting by winning the European Championship in Slovakia.
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Reizeger, who suffered three tournament semi-final defeats with Holland, said: “We missed that special cup.
“After three semi-finals, you hope that you play the final and live up to it [expectation]. We lost for our generation.
“Now we have some good players and we’re getting better with every game.”
For Reiziger to achieve that, he must first topple the holders England in Bratislava tonight to seal a date with destiny in Saturday’s final.
He acknowledges that will not be an easy task – and he is certainly no stranger to opposite number Lee Carsley.
The two head coaches have actually collided on the pitch during the Dutchman’s brief time in the Premier League.
That was back on January 16 in 2005 when Carsley helped Everton come from behind to earn a 1-1 draw at The Riverside in a stormy match that was marred by a huge goalmouth scuffle that exploded after a late challenge from Duncan Ferguson on Boro keeper Mark Schawarzer.
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Reiziger claims he cannot remember the game, but Carsley, who was denied by the woodwork that day, can.
He said: “I don’t remember it being a classic. We always had tough games against Middlesbrough.
“Michael was a top player. Look at his CV, Barcelona, AC Milan, Ajax, he’s been there and done it. A Champions League player and a coach that I’ve got a lot of respect for.
Michael Reiziger
Here’s everything the Dutch icon won during his incredible playing career:
AJAX
Eredivisie: 1994–95, 1995–96
KNVB Cup: 1992–93
Dutch Supercup: 1994, 1995
Champions League: 1994–95
Uefa Cup: 1991–92
Uefa Super Cup: 1995
Intercontinental Cup: 1995
BARCELONA
La Liga: 1997–98, 1998–99
Copa del Rey: 1997–98
Uefa Super Cup: 1997
PSV
Eredivisie: 2005–06, 2006–07
“He’s doing a great job with the U21s, as he did with Ajax’s B team. He’s carried that on with the U21s.
“The style that they’re playing is great to watch. I expect it to be a really exciting game, unlike that 1-1 draw. I don’t remember hitting the bar now but I remember the melee.”
No matter what happens tonight, Reiziger will always remain on the list of all-time greats.
But another journey may just be beginning, only this time it is him leading the revolution from the dug-out.
England’s Under-21 Euros squad in FULL
ENGLAND are looking to retain their status as Under-21 European champions this summer in Slovakia.
Here is Lee Carsley’s full squad for the blockbuster tournament:
Goalkeepers: James Beadle (Brighton and Hove Albion), Teddy Sharman-Lowe (Chelsea), Tommy Simkin (Stoke City)
Defenders: Charlie Cresswell (FC Toulouse), Ronnie Edwards (Southampton), CJ Egan-Riley (Burnley), Tino Livramento (Newcastle United), Brooke Norton Cuffy (Genoa), Jarell Quansah (Liverpool)
Midfielders: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest), Archie Gray (Tottenham Hotspur), Hayden Hackney (Middlesbrough), Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton and Hove Albion), Tyler Morton (Liverpool), Alex Scott (AFC Bournemouth)
Forwards: Harvey Elliott (Liverpool), Omari Hutchinson (Ipswich Town), Sam Iling Jnr (Aston Villa), James McAtee (Manchester City), Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal), Jonathan Rowe (Marseille), Jay Stansfield (Birmingham City)
