#5 Had a previous connection with Louis Van Gaal
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After his unsuccessful trial at Sunderland, Ragnar was given the chance to display his abilities in a trial for Ajax, which was under the management of Danny Blind at the time. Blind was impressed with the teenager, but as Technical Director of the club, Van Gaal overruled the decision to make the move happen.
A few years later while Klavan was plying his trade at Heracles Almelo, LVG was the manager at AZ Alkmaar. Van Gaal once invited the player to his office and quizzed him on the tactical set-up of his AZ team. Hugely impressed with Ragnar’s knowledge of the game, Van Gaal immediately offered him the chance to play for Alkmaar.
Klavan accepted the offer, and thus officially became an AZ Alkmaar player. In the second half of the 2008/09 season, Klavan was an integral part of the AZ defence which set a club record of 28 games unbeaten.
