1. Wim Suurbier played as a right back and was part of the Netherlands national team and AFC Ajax teams of the 1970s.
16 Facts About Wim Suurbier
1. 2.
Wim Suurbier made his debut for Ajax Amsterdam when he was 19 and played with them for 13 years, all throughout the most successful era until 1977 when he was 32 years old.
3.
Usually a right back, Suurbier was renowned for his pace and stamina.
4.
Wim Suurbier was a big part of the 70's "total football" team the "Twelve Apostles" of Ajax Amsterdam led by Johan Cruijff, which lifted the UEFA European Cup three times in a row.
5.
In 1979, Wim Suurbier transferred to the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League.
6.
Wim Suurbier played three seasons in Los Angeles before moving to the San Jose Earthquakes for the 1982 season.
7.
Wim Suurbier retired at the end of the season to become an assistant coach with the Earthquakes.
8.
Wim Suurbier later resumed his playing career as a player-coach of the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the American Indoor Soccer Association.
9.
Wim Suurbier played 60 matches and scored three goals for the Netherlands national team from 1966 to 1978.
10.
Wim Suurbier played in both the 1974 and 1978 World Cups where the Dutch finished second, and the 1976 UEFA European Football Championship.
11.
In 1983, Wim Suurbier was an assistant coach with the Golden Bay Earthquakes.
12.
In November 1987, Wim Suurbier became the head coach of the newly established Fort Lauderdale Strikers in preparation of the team's first season in 1988.
13.
In January 1989, Wim Suurbier resigned as coach of the Strikers.
14.
In 1999 Wim Suurbier joined Al Etehad as an assistant coach to Rene Meulensteen.
15.
From 2001 to 2002 Wim Suurbier worked for Heerenveen as an assistant for the U-20 squad.
16.
In May 2020, it was reported that Wim Suurbier was in intensive care after having suffered a "major" intracerebral haemorrhage.