Suggested Rating 94 Johan Cruyff is without doubt one of the most shocking players to have been left out of EAs selection of all-time greats. The Dutchman was named the European footballer of the century by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) and with good reason. Cruyff is synonymous with the Total Football style which exploded onto the soccer-scene in the 1970s. In short, this involved a team utilising an ultra-fluid system whereby any player could come out of their designated outfield role if the opportunity on the field presented itself. Cruyff was the so-called conductor of the Dutch national teams Total Football style. The Flying Dutchmans vision and passing allowed him to break a team down and pick out the killer pass. The fluidity of Total Football involving a team being in a constant state of flux demanded that a player with a preeminent knowledge of the game be at the centre to control the flow of the match. This player was Johan Cruyff. As well as being a legendary playmaker, Cruyff was also extremely talented on the ball with brilliant dribbling abilities, and his obvious supremacy on the field led to the Dutchman being honoured with the Ballon dOr three times in 1971, 1973 and 1974.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
