3x Ballon d’Or Winner Could Have Been Football’s Greatest Star

For one second, just imagine being talented enough to pick up three Ballon d’Or before turning the age of 28. Well, welcome to the story of Marco van Basten, a marksman whose career came to a premature end in 1995 as he couldn’t bare the pain of playing, through gritted teeth, from his damaged ankle no more. It’s, simply, a story of utter misfortune.

Born in Utrecht before causing terror to defenders across Europe, Van Basten’s love for football may not have vanished – as evidenced by his role as FIFA Technical Director – but the fact that we, as fans, never witness him in his final form is regrettable.

His boyhood club, Ajax, and Italian juggernauts AC Milan were the two teams blessed enough to possess the Dutch hotshot’s goalscoring prowess before he was forced to call it quits and hang up his awfully reliable shooting boots – but just how imperious could he have been?

It’s a question that will, unfortunately, remain unanswered… but who’s to say he wouldn’t be deemed the greatest of all time if he unscathed from injury?

Van Basten, at the height of his powers, was a household name across Europe – but those in the United Kingdom may not be fully aware of his enviable talent because his prime came when English clubs were banned from European competition. For those unaware, he was deft, potent and everything in between. Let’s take a deep dive into his career, then, shall we?

Was There Anything Van Basten Couldn’t Do?

Elegance personified, Van Basten was the perfect mix of all your favourite strikers. He could from every – and any! – angle; he could dance around a back four with, what looked like at least, relative ease; he could coolly control a loose ball with his velvety, deft first touch. Not afraid to drop deep, be selfless and link up with his teammates, his back-to-goal play, thanks to his stocky 6ft 2in frame, was also second to none.

His pronounced genius may not be rightfully recognised in the UK, but he was one of football’s maiden do-it-all centre-forwards. Utterly complete was Van Basten, who became a four-time Serie A champion during his stint in the Italian capital.

Fabio Capello – who, during his stint in charge at San Siro, had Van Basten lead the line on 60 occasions across all competitions – famously recalled that he was the greatest striker he had ever managed before suggesting that his early retirement, three years after winning his third, and final, Ballon d’Or, is nothing short of a travesty for football as a whole.

But Capello wasn’t the only footballing figure that has waxed poetic about Van Basten. Ruud Gullit, a player who had become accustomed to the striker’s genius for club and country, said: “Marco van Basten was one of the best strikers the world has ever seen, a man with a natural goalscoring instinct.

“He could do things on one square yard of grass another player couldn’t even dream of,” Gullit insisted; and it’s hard to argue with the Chelsea hero. Van Basten is, and will remain, a timeless icon of what we call the beautiful game. And that’s a testament to a player whose full potential was never unleashed.

Footballing royalty Paolo Maldini also waxed poetic about the Dutchman. “Oh yes,” he said, per The Daily, when quizzed whether Van Basten was his toughest opponent of all time. “Right foot. Left foot. Heading, so strong, fast. He could score, he could pass the ball. He was the best.

“The way he played was timeless. He had to quit when he was 28. Surgery. Stupid surgery to the ankle. It was such a pity,” Maldini concluded. Even defenders that he had got the better were devastated at the news. That’s just how brilliant the well-balanced striker was at such a tender age.

While on the books of Ajax, the talisman’s breakthrough amounted to a solitary appearance in the 1981/82 season. A fresh, 18-year-old Van Basten made his debut, and scored, before becoming the club’s main source of goals once Wim Kieft – his primary competition – left for pastures new.

For the next three years, he was unstoppable – scoring left, right and centre! He finished atop of Holland’s goalscoring charts for three years on the trot with 118 strikes in 112 outings.

The affectionately monikered ‘Swan of Utrecht’ – thanks to his concoction of splendour and ability to glide across the pitch – spent five years in his homeland before moving to play at the San Siro on a bi-weekly basis for the lowly fee of £1 million. An absolute bargain, right?

The goals, of course, flowed. In a total of 201 appearances for the Rossoneri, he scored 125 goals – but that doesn’t even touch the surface of what he was capable of in and around the box. In fact, he netted an eye-catching 152 strikes in 172 appearances for Ajax. Just imagine what his numbers would’ve looked like if he remained free of injury woes. What if, eh, what if?

Many of those who had the pleasure of watching the handsome Dutchman in the flesh would assert that he’s up there as one of the greatest hitmen of all time; but while he’s there or thereabouts, the fact that his career failed to blossom in the same vein as many others is a cause for concern during a debate.

An on-sight predator of the highest regard, it wasn’t just Van Basten’s tally that was out-of-this-world, but each strike’s quality was applause-worthy. The likes of Gerd Muller and Ferenc Puskas are, for good reason, commonly admired as two of the greatest centre-forwards to ever set foot on a pitch, but Van Basten certainly gives them a run for their money. And his career was much, much shorter compared to theirs.

Putting aside his career-ending injuries for a second, there are very few players in football history that have possessed such desirable talent as Van Basten. Combine that with his assortment of silverware and catalogue of varying finishes, and you’ve got a compelling case to suggest that he’d be the greatest to ever do it if he remained free of injury until his mid to late 30s. Instead, he sadly retired at 28.