PSV Eindhoven Greatest All-time Team

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

2015-2016 League Title

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

Ajax Amsterdam, PSV, Feyenoord.
Surnamese-Dutch,
North Holland, South Holand.
The rest of Netherlands excluding North and South Holland
Netherlands All-Time Team After Johan Cruyff
Netherlands before Johan Cruyff (BC)

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for the club.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.

The club was founded in 1913 as a team for Philips employees. PSV Eindhoven’s history contains two golden eras revolving around the UEFA Cup victory in 1978 and the 1987–88 European Cup victory as part of the seasonal treble in 1988. The team has won the Eredivisie 23 times, the KNVB Cup nine times and the Johan Cruijff Schaal ten times. 

Since its foundation, it has played in the Philips Stadion and has upheld its club colours (red and white). Its elaborate connection with Philips can be witnessed in its sponsoring, shared technology and board member ties. Fans have named themselves 'boeren' (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbuːrə(n)], Dutch for either peasants or farmers), taking pride in Eindhoven's status of being a provincial city and their Brabantian heritage.

1988 European Cup

Team
GK:  Jan Van Beveren (Netherlands)
Jan van Beveren was considered one of the best keepers in the 1970's.  In 1970, Van Beveren joined PSV Eindhoven, where he won three Eredivisie titles, two domestic cups and the UEFA Cup in 1978. His career with the national team was cut short because of a feud with Johan Cruyff. He did not go to the World Cup Finals in 1974 as a result.

GK: Hans Van Breukelen  (Netherlands)
Hans Van Breukelen started his career with FC Utrecht and then, Nottingham Forest.  He moved to PSV in 1984, where he became a star.  For the national team, he was a fixture since 1980.  However, he did not help the Oranje to reach a major touranemt until in 1988, where they won the first ever trophy for the Dutch national team. He had 73 caps.

GK: Heurelho Gomes (Brazil)
Heurelho Gomes started Cruzeiro in Brazil.  He made a name for himself at Dutch club PSV, and also spent six years at Tottenham Hotspur.  He also played for 1899 Hoffenheim.  He only earned only 11 caps, largely to fierce competition with Dida, Marcos, Julio Ceasar, Rogerio Ceni, etc. He was a part of the 2010 World Cup team. 

RB:: Eric Gerets (Belgium)
Eric Gerets is considered one of the greatest European rightbacks in history. His best club career was spent with Standard de Liège and PSV Eindhoven.  He won the 1988 European Cup with PSV as their captain. He also played briefly for AC Milan and MVV Maastricht.  Gerets was capped 86 times.  He played a big role as the Red Devils finished second at the Euro 1980 and reached the semi-final of the WC 1986 Finals.

Eric Gerets

RB: Sjef van Run (Netherlands)
Born 1904, Sjef van Run was capped 25 times in the 1930's.  He played for the Dutch National team in the 1934 World Cup Finals, held in France. For his club career, he played his entire career with PSV Eindhoven, appearing in 359 league matches between 1926 and 1942.  He died in 1973 at the age of 69.

CB:  Jaap Stam  (Netherlands)
Stam became the most expensive Dutch player and the most expensive defender in the world when Manchester United bought him for 10.6 million pounds.  He also played for PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Lazio, AC Milan and Ajax. Sam was capped 67 times for Holland, scoring three goals. He was in their squads for three European Championships and the 1998 World Cup.

CB: Alex  (Brazil)
Alex was a star with Santos at home.  He joined Chelsea in 2004, but he was loaned to Dutch team PSV. Alex finally joined Chelsea in 2007, where he won the FA Cup in 2009 and a league and FA Cup "double" in 2010, as well as reaching the 2008 Champions League Final. He also played for Paris Saint-Germain and Milan. Alex earned 17 caps for Brazil between 2003 and 2008, winning the 2007 Copa América. 

CB: Ernie Brandts (Netherlands)
Ernie Brandts started with De Graafschap, but his' greatest club career was spent with PSV Eindhoven, where he won the UEFA Cup in 1978.  He played 28 times for Holland between 1977 and 1985.  He was the starting centre-back in the 1978 World Cup Finals, where Netherlands reached the Final.  Against Italy, he became the first player ever to score a goal and an own goal in the same game.

CB:  Ronald Koeman (Netherlands)
Ronald Koeman was the rock solid sweeper of Nethertlands' Euro1988 team.  He was capped 78 times. He also won two European Cups, one each for PSV Eindhoven and Barcelona FC.  He scored the winning goal for Barcelona's victory in 1992. The Cup was Barcelona FC's first ever European Cup.  In Netherlands, he played for all of the "big three" clubs, namely Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord.

Ronald Koeman

LB: Jan Heintze (Denmark)
Heintze played with PSV Eindhoven, winning the European Cup in 1988.  He also played for Bayer Uerdingen and Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. He played 86 matches for Denmark between 1987 and 2002, but missed the 1992 European Championship because of an injury.  He was their captain for his last two years with the national team.

LB: Jan Poortvliet (Netherlands)
Jan Poortvliet was a long time member of PSV Eindhoven. He played for them from 1974 to 1983.  After leaving them, he played club football in Austria, Belgium and France. He had 19 caps.  He was a part of Oranje's team at the World Cup Finals in 1978 and European Championship in 1980. 

DM: Mark van Bommel (Netherlands)
In Holland, Mark van Bommel's career was associated PSV Eindhoven, where he had two separated stints.  However, his most famous part of his career was spent with Bayern Munich. He was their first ever non-German captain.  He played 79 times for Netherlands and was a main player as they reached the Final of the 2010 World Cup Finals in South Africa. 

Mark Van Bommel

CM: Phillip Cocu (Netherlands)
Cocu played for AZ and Vitesse Arnhem before joining PSV Eindhoven. He played for FC Barcelona between 1998 and 2004. During Cocu’s second stint at PSV, he won another three Eredivisie titles and reached the Champions League semi-finals. With 101 caps, Cocu is fifth on the list of most Dutch international appearances.  He also played at the 1998 and 2006 World Cup, as well as the 1996, 2000 and 2004 European Championships. 


CM: Willy van de Kerkhof (Netherlands)
Overall,  Willy Van de Kerkhof appeared 63 times for his country.  He was a member of the 1974 World Cup team, but it was the 1978 World Cup Finals, where he carried the team to the Final against the host Argentina.  His twin brother Rene was also a part of the 1978 team.  For his club career, he played for FC Twente and PSV Eindhoven.

RW: Rene van de kerkhof (Netherlands)
Willy's twin brother.  His best year was in 1978 while playing for PSV.  He was the runners-up at the World Cup, he also won the UEFA Cup, the Dutch championship and the KNVB Beker.  He also played in Hong Kong.  Before the 1978 World Cup final, the opponent Argentinians objected to the cast he wore on his injured forearm which delayed his participation in the Final.

RW/LW/FW: Arjen Robben (Netherlands)
Robben was an important player for Bayern Munich's dominance in Europe as they reached three Champions' League Finals in 4 years, winning one in 2013.  He also played with Real Madrid, Chelsea and PSV Eindhoven.  For the national team, he had 96 caps between 2003 and 2017.  He helped Netherlands to reach the Final of the 2010 World Cup Finals and then, four years later the semi-final in 2014. 

Arjen Robben

RW: Gerald Vanenburg (Netherlands)
He amassed Eredivisie totals of 372 games and 112 goals for Ajax and PSV combined, winning fifteen major titles between the two clubs, including the 1988 European Cup with the latter. Subsequently he played in Japan, France and Germany, in a 20-year professional career. Vanenburg earned more than 40 caps for the Netherlands, appearing at the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1988 and winning the latter tournament.

AM: Willy van der Kuijlen (Netherlands)
In 1964, he was signed by PSV. Van der Kuijlen ended up playing for the club 18 years, winning three Eredivisie titles, two domestic cups and the UEFA Cup in 1978. He was also crowned Eredivisie top scorer three times. After short periods with MVV Maastricht and Overpelt, he retired at age 37.  Capped 22 times.  His international career was limited due to his clashes with Johan Cruyff.

AM: Ruud Gullit (Nethertlands)
Ruud Gullit was the iconic captain of Dutch Euro 1988 winning team.  In 1987,  he moved from PSV Eindhoven to A.C. Milan for a world record transfer fee.  He was an important player for AC Milan during the 1980's where they won two straight European Cups. He was the European Footballer of the Year in 1987 and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989.  He spent one season with Sampdoria winning the Italian Cup in 1994.  He earned 66 caps.

Ruud Gullit

ST: Luc Nilis  (Belgium)
Luc Nilis played for K.F.C. Winterslag, R.S.C. Anderlecht, PSV Eindhoven and Aston Villa. During his time with PSV, Nilis formed one of the deadliest partnerships in Europe with team-mate Ruud van Nistelrooy, who signed for PSV in 1998. He joined Aston Villa,  but his career there was limited to a serious injury.  Capped 58 times for Belgium.

ST: Coen Dillen (Netherlands)
Nicknamed Het Kanon (the cannon), Coen Dillen spent 12 years with PSV Eindhoven.  He scored 43 goals in the 1956/1957, a goal record for a single season in the Eredivisie that still remains unbroken today.  He scored twenty goals in a nine-match period between 27 January and 31 March 1957.  He also played for Brabantia and Helmondia '55.. Internationally, he only played 5 times for Netherlands, scoring 4 goals.

Coen Dillen

ST: Wim Kielf (Netherlands)
Wim Kielf played for Ajax in the late 1970's and then, moved to Italy in 1983.  He played for Pisa and then, Torino.  In 1987, he joined PSV  and immediately won the European Cup in 1988.  For the national team, he was a part of the Golden Generation that won Euro 1988 and participated at the WC in 1990 and Euro 1992.  He mainly used a substitute role at both Euro 1988 and the WC in 1990.

ST: Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Netherlands)
Ruud Van Nistelrooy was a prolific goal scorer. He won the top scorer award in three different European domestic leagues. He started with PSV Eindhoven.  He spent 5 seasons with Manchester United where he was voted as their best player twice.  With Real Madrid, he finished second as the European Golden Boot. Van Nistelrooy earned 70 caps and scored 35 goals for the Netherlands. He played in 2006 World Cup and two European Championship.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy

ST Romario (Brazil)
Romario helped the Seleção to win the 1994 FIFA World Cup, receiving the Golden Ball as player of the tournament. He was named FIFA World Player of the Year the same year. He missed the 1998 WC Finals because of an injury. One of very few strikers to surpass the mark of 1,000 goals. He was best remembered for his stint with Barcelona.

ST: Ronaldo (Brazil)
Ronaldo was widely considered among the greatest ever to have play the game.  He led Brazil to two World Cup Finals matches, winning the one in 2002.  He scored 8 goals in 2002.  He also went to the USA 1994, but did not play. He was the winner of Ballon d'Or twice and the FIFA World Player of the Year three times.  He is the second top-scorer in World Cup history.  He played for both Barcelona and Real Madrid, and for both AC Milan and Inter Milan. 

Ronaldo

Honorable Mention
Ronald Waterreus (Netherlands), Piet Fransen (Netherlands), Soren Lerby (Denmark), Hallvar Thoresen (Norway), Ivan Nielsen (Denmark), Arthur Numan (Netherlands), Georginio Wijnaldum, Wilfred Bouma (Netherlands), Erwin Koeman (Netherlands), Mateja Kežman (Serbia), Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink (Netherlands), André Ooijer (Netherlands), Ralf Edström (Sweden), Björn Nordqvist (Sweden), Ibrahim Afellay (Netherlands), Jefferson Farfan (Peru), Berry van Aerle (Netherlands), Huub Stevens (Netherlands), Luuk de Jong (Netherlands), Memphis Depay (Netherlands), Pierre Kerkhoffs (Netherlands), Johann Vogel (Switzerland),  Park Ji-sung (South Korea), Gheorghe Popescu (Romania), Andrés Guardado (Mexico).

Squad Explanation
-- In the 1987-1988 season, PSV Eindhoven enjoyed its greatest season. They won the Eredivisie with 9 points ahead of the second placed Ajax.  They then won the Cup by beating Roda FC.  They completed the treble when they beat Benfica for their first European Cup.  I selected Hans van Breukelen, Eric Gerets, Ronald Koeman, Jan Heintze, Wim Kielf and Gerald Vanenburg to be on my all-time team. Willy van de Kerkhof did not play in the Final, but was a member of the team. He also played in the UEFA Cup in 1978, making him a part of both generations. Soren Lerby and Berry van Aerle made my honourable mention.  Ruud Gullit left for AC Milan, the season before.
-- In 1978, PSV beat Bastia of France to win the UEFA Cup.  Bastia featured Johnny Rep.  From the UEFA Cup winning team, , I selected Willy van der Kuijlen, the Van de Kerkhof twins, Jan van Beveren, Ernie Brandts and Jan Poortvliet.
--Goalkeeper Jan Van Beveren and Hans van Breukelen were considered among the best ever from Netherlands.  Heurelho Gomes (Brazil) won four straight league titles with PSV and took them to the semifinal of the Champions' League.
-- In his three seasons at PSV, Ronald Koeman scored 51 goals in 98 league appearances, averaging more than one goal every two matches.
-- Alex is a surprised selection over Huub Stevens.  He won three Eredivisie titles in his three seasons at the club.  He helped PSV to reach the semifinal of the Champions' League.
-- Eric Gerets was considered among the best rightback in Europe during his time with the club.   Jan Heintze is 3rd in appearance record for the club. 
-- I am not familiar with fullback Sjef van Run.  Berry van Aerle was kept out the team by Sjef van Run and Eric Gerets, despite the fact that I am not familiar with Van Run.  
-- The midfield is strong.  Willy and Rene van de Kerkhof are probably automatic selections on most PSV all-time team. I also have Phillip Cocu and Mark Van Bommel on this team.
-- The world took notice of Ruud Gullit while he played for PSV.  He was named the Dutch Footballer of the Year in 1986.  AC Milan paid a world record fee to buy him from PSV in 1987.
-- Arjen Robben also played limited time with PSV, but he was homegrown.  I have different criteria for smaller clubs outside the big four leagues.  It is much harder for them to keep a superstar long than a mega clubs in Spain or England.  Robben also had a great partnership with Mateja Kežman, but I did not have space for Kežman.  I have Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Romario and Ronaldo ahead of him.
-- Willy van der Kuijlen spent 18 years with the club.  He holds the record for the most league appearances and the most league goals.
-- The club was the stepping stone for both Romario and Ronaldo.  
-- Ronaldo has limited time with PSV, but he scored 42 goals in 46 games.  I cannot ignore that stats. 
-- Romario was Eredivide top scorer three straight seasons, winning the Dutch player of the Year in 1989.
-- Ruud Van Nistelrooy was the top scorer at the Eredivisie twice. He also won the Dutch Player of the Year award twice while playing for the club.  I also took his strike partner Luc Nilis.  Luc Nilis also won the Dutch Player of the Year award in 1995.  He also played with Ronaldo.

Formation
Coen Dillen should start ahead Ronaldo.  He is PSV through and through while Ronaldo only spent a season here.