Patrick Kluivert is a legend of European football and the all-time leading goal scorer for the Holland national side. He was a member of the golden generation of Ajax players in the 1990s and starred for the great Barcelona side that also included the likes of Rivaldo and Luis Figo. In 2004 he was named in the FIFA list of the 125 greatest footballers chosen by Pele.
Kluivert became an instant hit with the partisan Ajax support when, at 18, he scored on his senior debut in the Dutch Super Cup win over arch rivals Feyenoord. He was one of a galaxy of young Ajax stars including Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf and Edwin van der Sar, that drove the team back to the summit of European football. He wrote himself into Ajax history by scoring the winning goal of the 1995 Champions League final against Milan. Along with the Champions League, Kluivert gleaned two Dutch league titles, two Dutch Super Cup medals and two European Super Cup medals with Ajax.
Kluivert spent a short time at Milan before joining Barcelona. In Spain he teamed up with Rivaldo to form a deadly striker partnership that successfully defended the La Liga title they had won the previous year. Kluivert was a favourite of the Catalan fans and scored an incredible 90 times in 182 games. Since leaving Barcelona in 2004, Kluivert has played for Newcastle, Valencia and PSV, whom he helped to a Dutch league title in 2007. In August 2007 he joined French Ligue 1 side Lille.
Kluivert's outstanding club career is matched by his performances for the Dutch national side. After making his debut at 18, he came back from a knee injury to score against England in Euro 96 and win the Netherlands a place in the knockout stage. He helped the Netherlands into the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup and the same stage of Euro 2000 where he was the outstanding Dutch player, winning the Golden Boot for scoring five goals in five games. Kluivert's 40 goals for his country is a record for Holland.
Born1 Jul 1976
Place Of BirthAmsterdam, Holland
Height1.89 m (6' 2'')
PositionStriker
ClubsAjax, AC Milan, Barcelona, Newcastle United, Valencia, PSV Eindhoven, Lille
CountryHolland
Major Club HonoursAjax: Dutch Supercup, 1994, 1995
Eredivisie, 1995, 1996
UEFA Champions League, 1995
European Super Cup, 1995
Intercontinental Cup, 1995
Barcelona: La Liga, 1999
PSV Eindhoven: Eredevisie, 2007