10 greatest Dutch players of all time

#8 Faas Wilkes (Forward)

Legendary Dutch striker who paved the way for many greats

Considered the 'Cristiano Ronaldo' of his time, Faas Wilkes became well-known for his jinking runs, deadly eye for goal and a player who missed out on his prime years internationally due to his countries reluctance to play football on a professional level.

Wilkes was the first Dutch player to become an idol overseas, as he dazzled for Valencia from 1953 to 1956. Prior to his spell in Spain, Wilkes established himself as a hero at the San Siro by playing for Inter Milan between 1949-1952.

His goalscoring record speaks volumes of his ability as the forward mustered 35 goals in 38 caps. However, his prime years between 25-32 years-old were cut short as the Dutch FA refused to accept professional players for their national side.

Wilkes remained the countries fourth-highest goalscorer and became the fastest player to score 35 goals for his country - ahead of Patrick Kluviert, Robin van Persie and Dennis Bergkamp.