Top 10 playmakers in the history of European football

#1 Johan Cruyff

No one player has had as much of an impact on the footballing world as Johan Cruyff. Not only did he possess outstanding technical ability, he also had an unparalleled vision of the game that no other football player could match. He seemed to be a step ahead of every other player on the pitch.

Cruyff was not a traditional playmaker. He played as a forward but his versatility enabled him to drop deep so as to have more of an influence on the game. That was a key aspect of the Total Football philosophy that he believed in.

The Dutchman was a great dribbler, had speed, acceleration and an outstanding ability to time a pass to perfection making him an absolute nightmare for opponents.

He dominated European football in the 1970s with Ajax, Barcelona and the Dutch national team and went on to be crowned the European Footballer of the Year three times. He even has a move named after him – The Cruyff Turn.