Piet Keizer

Petrus Johannes "Piet" Keizer (14 June 1943 – 10 February 2017) was a Dutch professional footballer who played as a left winger.

As part of the "Total Football" Ajax Amsterdam team of the 1960s and 1970s, Keizer was particularly notable during the successive managerial tenures of Rinus Michels and Stefan Kovacs (1965–1973). He is widely considered one of the greatest players in Dutch football history. Dutch writer once said: "Cruyff is the best, but Keizer is the better one".

Club career Keizer totalled 489 official matches for Ajax, scoring 189 goals between 1961 and 1974, and is a member of the Club van 100 at Ajax, a list of players playing more than 100 official games for the club. He made his debut in the first team on 5 February 1961 against Feyenoord.

International career With the Dutch national team, Keizer played 34 times, scoring 11 goals. Keizer was selected by Netherlands manager, Rinus Michels, to play for the Dutch squad during the 1974 FIFA World Cup, but only started in the 0–0 draw against Sweden.

End of career Keizer suddenly retired from football in October 1974, shortly after a row over tactics with Ajax manager Hans Kraay.

Personal life On 13 June 1967, Keizer married Jenny Hoopman. The couple had two sons.

Keizer died of lung cancer in February 2017, after a long illness.

Football player and manager Marcel Keizer, who played in the Ajax youth academy and was a manager of the first team in 2017, is a nephew of Piet Keizer.

Style of play UEFA website has described Keizer as "the genius on the left wing, the skillful flanker, the superb foil to Johan Cruyff".

Cruyff, in his posthumously released autobiography, placed Keizer, as left winger, in his "ideal squad".

Career statistics Club + Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Intercontinental Cup: 1972 Intertoto Cup: 1961–62, 1968 (Group A2 winner)

Netherlands FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1974

Individual Winger in Johan Cruyff's favourite World XI