4 footballers who made their professional and managerial debut with the same club

#1 Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff of the Netherlands

One of the greatest footballers ever, both on and off the pitch, Johan Cruyff can be described as one of the most influential footballers the world has ever seen.

He was one of the only few footballers whose achievements as a player were matched by his achievements as a manager. The dictum that legendary players do not usually make great coaches did not apply to Cruyff.

He was the product of the Ajax youth academy and made his professional debut for the club at the age of just 17 years in 1964. And this is the club where he would learn all the tricks of his trade and earn a reputation for himself as the biggest player in Europe.

In his illustrious career in which he would help Barcelona secure first league title since 1960, he would go on to win 24 major trophies and become of the most decorated Dutch player of all times.

After few spells in the US, Spain he returned back home and announced his retirement in 1984. In the very next season, he reunited with his childhood club by becoming their head coach for the 1985 season.

He was already a legend by the time he retired, but he was not done yet and would go on to have an equally astounding managerial career with his former clubs Ajax and Barcelona.