The man who laid the foundations at Ajax and Barcelona also epitomized the Dutch school of Total Football. He was a towering, influential and unique figure in the game.
It is often said that soccer players with extraordinary technical ability do not go on to become good coaches. The game comes so naturally to these players that they struggle to convey their message when they make the transition from pitch to bench. But there is an exception to every rule and, in this case, it was Johan Cruyff.
The Dutchman, who has died aged 68 after a battle with cancer, was a brilliant forward and symbol of 'Total Football'; the finest footballer in the great Netherlands side which won countless admirers but lost out to West Germany in the final of the 1974 World Cup.