Marco van Basten turns 52: Three-time Ballon d’Or winner and AC Milan, Ajax and Netherlands legend is one of greatest strikers in football history
Scored one of football's most iconic goals, won three European trophies — despite playing his last game aged just 28
LEGENDARY striker Marco van Basten turns 52 today.
The former Ajax and AC Milan hotshot won the Ballon d’Or three times, scored one of the most iconic goals in football history and is generally considered one of the top centre-forwards of all time.
And that is despite playing through the pain barrier of a persistent ankle injury for most of his career which ultimately caused him to retire from playing at the age of 28.
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That Van Basten’s prime came at a time when English clubs were banned from European competition and when live football from other leagues on the continent was but a distant dream means his genius is not too well recognised in the UK.
He joined Ajax and made a scoring debut at the age of 18 in 1982.
Initially, Van Basten wanted to be a gymnast, but later discovered he could play football quite well.
After Wim Kieft — his competition for the No1 striking berth — left for Pisa a year later, he took over.
He was the stop scorer in Holland for the next three years, with 118 goals in 112 matches.
In 1985-86, he scored a staggering 37 goals in 26 league matches — including six in one game against Sparta Rotterdam — to win the European Golden Boot.
It wasn’t just Van Basten’s tally that was sensational, it was his quality.
In November 1986, he scored a spectacular overhead kick against FC Den Bosch.
At the end of that season, he moved to AC Milan alongside fellow countryman, Ruud Gullit.
With Ajax, the striker won three league titles, three Dutch Cups and a Cup Winners’ Cup in 1987 — netting the only goal in the final against Lokovmotive Leipzig.
Despite his troublesome ankle restricting Van Basten to just 11 games, he still helped the Rossoneri win a first Serie A title for eight years.
That summer, he led Holland on a revenge mission over West Germany for their famous 1974 World Cup final victory.
Van Basten netted an 88th-minute winner as the Dutch beat the hosts 2-1 to reach the Euro 88 final.
And, he outdid himself in the showpiece against the USSR.
Arnold Muhren’s hopeful cross looks to be far too wide, but Van Basten hit a superb volley over the goalkeeper to clinch his country’s first-ever major honour.
He later revaled his painful ankle prevented him from taking an extra touch, so he just put his foot through it.
Van Basten won the Golden Boot and was voted the tournament’s best player in West Germany — and won his his first Ballon d’Or.
He scored twice at the Nou Camp as Milan produced one of the greatest performances of all-time to beat Steaua Bucharest 4-0 in 1989, and win the European Cup for a third time.
And, in the following season, both he and Arrigo Sacchi’s men retained their European crowns.
He reportedly fell out with the manager and that caused the Italian to lose his job — and Fabio Capello came in.
Marco van Basten's achievements
Ajax
Eredivisie: 1981–82, 1982–83, 1984–85
Dutch Cup: 1982–83, 1985–86, 1986–87
Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup: 1986–87
AC Milan
Serie A: 1987–88, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94
Supercoppa Italiana: 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994
European Cup: 1988–89, 1989–90
European Supercup: 1989, 1990
Intercontinental Cup: 1989, 1990
Ballon d’Or: 1988, 1989, 1992
Uefa Best Player of the Year: 1989, 1990, 1992
Eredivisie Top Scorer: 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87[
Dutch Footballer of the Year: 1984–85
European Golden Boot: 1985–86
World Golden Boot: 1985–86
Serie A Golden Boot: 1989–90, 1991–92
Euro 88: Top Scorer and Best Player with 5 goals
In 1991-92, Van Basten finished the season as top goal scorer with Milan winning the Scudetto without losing a match.
He followed in footsteps of Johan Cruyff and Michel Platini to win a third Ballon d’Or and added a Fifa World Player of the Year award in its second season.
Van Basten started the 1992-93 season in exceptional form, before a recurrence of his troublesome ankle forced him to undergo surgery.
He returned for the final few games of the season, but that 1993 Champions League final defeat to Marseille would be his final match for the club.
He remained at the club, but was sidelined for two years before eventually conceding defeat and retiring in August 1995.
Van Basten took his country for Euro 2008 — and oversaw dazzling Dutch victories over France and Italy, before bowing out to Russia at the quarter-finals.
He improved Ajax, restored Milan’s glory days and helped his country win its only-ever honour.
One of the greatest centre-forwards of all-time, who would have suited any generation.
Just imagine the records Van Basten would have smashed had his career not been cruelly cut short by injury.