Piet Keizer

Piet Keizer

220px Piet Keizer in 1973
Personal information
Full name	Petrus 'Piet' Johannes Keizer
Date of birth	(1943-06-14) 14 June 1943
Place of birth	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Position(s)	Left winger
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1961-1974	Ajax	365	(146)
International career
1962–1974	Netherlands	34	(11)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Petrus ("Piet") Johannes Keizer (born 14 June 1943 in Amsterdam) is a retired Dutch professional football player. Keizer was a part of the Total Football Ajax Amsterdam team of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly notable during the managerial tenures of Rinus Michels and Stefan Kovacs (1965-1973). he is widely considered as one of the greatest players in the history of Netherlands. Dutch writer Nico Scheepmaker said Keizer was "Cruyff is the best, but Keizer is the better one".

Club career

Keizer played 364 matches for Ajax, from 1961 to 1974. He played predominantly on the left-wing and with Ajax won 3 consecutive European Cups (1971, 1972, 1973), having lost the 1969 European Cup final to A.C. Milan. Also with Ajax, he won 6 Eredivisie titles, 4 KNVB Cups, 2 European Super Cups, 1 Intercontinental Cup and 1 Intertoto Cup.

In August 1973, under new Ajax manager, George Knobel, the Ajax players voted for Keizer to be the team's captain in a secret ballot, ahead of Johan Cruyff. Cruyff joined Barcelona just weeks later.

International career

With the Dutch national team, Keizer played 34 times, scoring 11 goals. He made his international debut in a 8-0 friendly win against the Netherlands Antilles in 1962. Keizer was in the Dutch squad for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, but was only selected to play in the 0-0 draw against Sweden by Netherlands manager, Rinus Michels. Keizer retired from football in October 1974, soon after a row over tactics with Ajax manager, Hans Kraay.

Family

On 13 June 1967, Keizer married Jenny Hoorman. The couple have a son.

Style of play

UEFA website has described Keizer as "a genius on the left wing, the skilful flanker was another superb foil for Johan Cruyff". Keizer's main strengths were his dribbling skills, ball control, his brilliant crossing ability, as well as good balance.

Honours

Ajax

• Eredivisie (6): 1965–66, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1972–73
• KNVB Cup (4): 1966–67, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1971–72
• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1968
• European Cup (3): 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73
• UEFA Super Cup (2): 1972, 1973
• Intercontinental Cup: 1972

Netherland

• FIFA World Cup Runners-up: 1974

See also

• List of one-club men