Patrick Kluivert Named His ‘Greatest Player Ever’ Ahead of ‘Maradona, Pele, & Cruyff’

Patrick Kluivert was a fantastic striker in his prime, winning major honours with Ajax, PSV and Barcelona while also playing AC Milan, Newcastle United, Valencia and Lille.

With 40 goals for the Netherlands, he’s one of the finest Dutch forwards of the past 30 years, and his son, Justin Kluivert, carries on his legacy as a fine player in his own right to this day.

With such a presence in the sport, it’s interesting to learn where Kluivert senior stands on the GOAT debate. He has gone on the record about football’s greatest ever player, overlooking some big names to give his personal favourite.

“With all due respect to Diego Maradona, Pele, and Johan Cruyff…”

As quoted by The News in 2023, Kluivert name-checked some true legends, while failing to even mention Cristiano Ronaldo, when giving his answer. The iconic Dutchman explained:

It’s certainly no controversial statement to make, many would agree with Kluivert’s belief that Messi is the best footballer of all time. But with his Barcelona connection, the answer is all the less surprising.

The Dutchman spent six years at Barca, between 1998 and 2004, scoring 122 goals and winning La Liga in 1999. As impressive as that is, his efforts pale in comparison to the famous Argentines’ achievements in Catalonia.

Indeed, Messi is undoubtedly Barcelona’s greatest legend, bagging a record 672 goals in 778 games, not to mention 303 assists and a whopping 34 trophies. Of course, Kluivert gave the icon his debut at Barca, and Messi would score 42 goals and pick up 26 assists in 110 games under the Dutchman.

Related

20 Greatest Graduates of Barcelona’s La Masia [Ranked]

There can only be one winner as the 20 best Barcelona academy players are ranked.

Kluivert Struggled in England

Regretted his Newcastle move due to Alan Shearer

Fans of English football may well best remember the Dutch forward for his stint at Newcastle between 2004 and 2005. Kluivert didn’t show his best form in the Premier League, though, scoring only 13 times in 37 matches.

He actually blamed club icon Alan Shearer for his struggles, saying: “There is only one man responsible for the fact that I did not become a big hit in Newcastle, his name is Alan Shearer. The man is God in the North. I think Shearer is a fantastic footballer, but [Graeme] Souness should have played [Craig] Bellamy and me together all the time.”

He would add that he chose to play for the wrong team, explaining: “It was always my dream to play in England. When I look back, I think it was one of the biggest mistakes in my career. Not because of England, but because of Newcastle. What turned me off as well was the kind of football Newcastle play. In England only Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool play good football.”

At Barcelona, he certainly played for a team that knew how to play good football. No doubt, Kluivert will be one of many former Barcelona men to have wished they played for the club at the same time as Messi.

Stats via Transfermarkt