Wim Jansen - Playing Career

Playing Career

He spent most of his playing career with his hometown team, Feyenoord, between 1965 and 1980. At Feyenoord, Jansen won four League Championships, one Dutch Cup, one UEFA Cup, and the European Cup in 1970 when Feyenoord defeated Celtic 2–1 in Milan. He also won 65 international caps with the Netherlands national football team and played in both the Dutch sides that reached the 1974 and 1978 World Cup Finals.

Jansen signed for the American side Washington Diplomats in 1980, but after playing 27 games for them, he returned to the Netherlands to sign for Ajax, on the advice of Johan Cruijff, who played together with Jansen at the Washington Diplomats. Jansen would play as libero and fill a gap in the Ajax defence after the departure of Krol in the summer of 1980. By November 1980, after 13 rounds of the Eredivise Ajax were 8th, by the end of the season they had picked up form and finished as runners-up behind AZ and in front of FC Utrecht. The next season Ajax went on to win the Eredivise with Jansen in the team. Feyenoord fans didn't like former player Jansen playing for their main rivals Ajax. On his Ajax debut (which, incidentally, was away to Feyenoord. Ajax lost 4–2) a snowball was thrown at his eye and Jansen had to leave the field for treatment. Jansen stayed at Ajax until summer 1982 when he retired.