Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Alastair John Dick | ||
Date of birth | 25 April 1965 | ||
Place of birth | Stirling, Scotland | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
Stirling Boys Club [1] | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1981–1986 | Tottenham Hotspur | 17 | (2) |
1986–1988 | Ajax | 11 | (1) |
1991–1993 | Heidelberg United | 10 | (4) |
1995–1996 | Seven Stars | ||
1996–1997 | Alloa Athletic | 1 | (0) |
Total | 53 | (11) | |
International career | |||
1982 | Scotland U18 | ||
1983 | Scotland U19 | ||
Medal record | |||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Alastair John Dick (born 25 April 1965) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played in the position of midfielder for clubs including Tottenham Hotspur in England and Ajax in the Netherlands. He later went on to play in South Africa and Australia. [2] [3] Dick also represented Scotland at schoolboy and youth level.
Having come to wide attention with his performances for Scotland Schoolboys in 1980, [4] [1] [5] Dick joined Tottenham Hotspur as an apprentice and played in 17 league matches and scored two goals between 1981 and 1986. He had the distinction of becoming the youngest first team player in Spurs' history up to that time, appearing at the age of 16 years and 301 days when he made his debut at White Hart Lane against Manchester City on 20 February 1982. [6] [7] Although John Bostock broke the record as a substitute in 2008, Dick remains the youngest to have started a match. [8] One of the highlights of his Spurs spell was an appearance as a substitute in the second leg of the 1984 UEFA Cup Final at White Hart Lane, [9] with several more experienced squad members unavailable through injury or suspension; however, he was himself injured during the match but played on, with the problem (torn knee ligaments) requiring an operation and causing him problems later in his career. [1] [8] [5] [4]
Johan Cruijff signed Dick for Ajax in 1986, having been alerted to his talents by Scottish club Rangers, who had decided against bringing him to Glasgow in what would have been a notable departure from their 'no Catholics' signing policy of the time, but recommended him as an option to Ajax when the Dutch club enquired about Davie Cooper and media reporting on the player failed to mention his name and focused only his religion. [1] [5] [4] Part of a hugely talented Ajax squad which included Dennis Bergkamp, Aron Winter, Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten, [1] Dick initially held down a place in the team but at the end of 1986 was badly injured in a European Cup Winners' Cup match against Olympiacos. [4] [5] Having missed the rest of the season, he featured again in the next European campaign, including playing against FC Porto in the first leg of the 1987 European Super Cup at its start, and being an unused sub in the 1988 European Cup Winners' Cup Final defeat against Belgian club KV Mechelen at its end, [10] but the injuries had cost him the pace that was a large part of his playing style, and he fell out of favour. [5] Dick later reflected that he had not found Cruijff's managerial style beneficial due to the contrast in their personalities, but that he could have done more in approaching the manager for guidance when he had the opportunity. [4]
Following short periods at Wimbledon and Brighton and Hove Albion without making any League appearances for either, [5] he went on to play in Australia for clubs including Heidelberg, winning the National League Cup in 1992, and also for Seven Stars (now Ajax Cape Town) in South Africa before injury ended his career at Scottish club Alloa Athletic in 1997 at the age of 32. [5]
Dick worked for Associated Newspapers (Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday). [11] He also holds a UEFA 'B' coaching licence. In 2011, he was appointed as one of the head coaches in Stirling Albion's youth academy, and also worked as a coach at Stirling University. [8]
Tottenham Hotspur
Ajax
Heidelberg United
Scotland Youth
Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax, also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or commonly Ajax, is a Dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the Eredivisie, the top tier in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax is the most successful club in the Netherlands, with 36 Eredivisie titles and 20 KNVB Cups. It has continuously played in the Eredivisie since the league's inception in 1956, and along with Feyenoord and PSV Eindhoven, it is one of the country's "big three" clubs that have dominated that competition.
Victor Frederick Buckingham was an English football player and manager.
Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.
Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder. He played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany and England, as well as earning three caps with the Netherlands national team. He subsequently became a manager and has worked for Roda JC, RKC Waalwijk and Ajax in his homeland, as well as German Bundesliga club Hamburger SV and English Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham and Egypt's Al Ahly.
William Dallas Fyfe Brown was a Scottish football goalkeeper.
Steven Archibald is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager. He played prominently as a forward for Aberdeen, winning the Scottish league in 1980, Tottenham Hotspur, winning two FA Cups and a UEFA Cup, and Barcelona, winning the Spanish league in 1985. He also played for several other clubs in Scotland, England, Spain and Ireland.
De Klassieker is the main football rivalry of the Netherlands, between Ajax and Feyenoord. The record attendance was on 9 January 1966, when 65,562 watched in Rotterdam.
Jan Bert Lieve Vertonghen is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Pro League club Anderlecht. Mainly a centre-back, he can also play as a left-back.
Moussa Sidi Yaya Dembélé, known as Mousa Dembélé, is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. He was regarded as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in Europe due to his excellent dribbling skills and ability to maintain possession.
Mark Peter Falco is an English former professional footballer who played as a striker for a number of clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, Watford, Rangers and Queens Park Rangers.
Tobias Albertine Maurits Alderweireld is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Belgian Pro League club Royal Antwerp.
Christian Dannemann Eriksen is a Danish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester United and the Denmark national team. He is his country's most capped player and fourth-highest all-time goalscorer, and was named Danish Football Player of the Year a record five times.
Hendrik Johannes Cruijff, commonly known as Johan Cruyff, was a Dutch professional football player and manager. Regarded as one of the greatest players in history and as the greatest Dutch footballer ever, he won the Ballon d'Or three times, in 1971, 1973, and 1974. Cruyff was a proponent of the football philosophy known as Total Football developed by Rinus Michels, which Cruyff also employed as a manager. Because of the far-reaching impact of his playing style and his coaching ideas, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in modern football, and he is also regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time.
AFC Ajax is one of the most successful clubs in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax is the most successful club in the Netherlands, with 36 Eredivisie titles and 20 KNVB Cups.
Steven Charles Bergwijn is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a left winger or a forward for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad.
The 2019 UEFA Champions League final was the final match of the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, the 64th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA and the 27th season since it was rebranded the UEFA Champions League. It was played at the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid, Spain on 1 June 2019, between English sides Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool. It was the seventh Champions League final – and the fourth of the decade – to feature two teams from the same association, and the second all-English final. It was also the first final since 2013 to not feature at least one Spanish team, with Real Madrid and Barcelona having shared the previous five titles between them.
During the 2018–19 season, PSV Eindhoven participated in the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup, the Johan Cruyff Shield and the UEFA Champions League.
Yorbe Vertessen is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward or a winger for German Bundesliga club Union Berlin.