Goalkeeper, Edwin Van Der Sar – Standing 6’6” tall, Edwin van der Sar was the cool and commanding presence at the back in the hugely successful Man United side of the late noughties. A sweeper-keeper before the term had really been coined, he patrolled the space in and around his box, and was one of the first of the ballplaying keepers. He won numerous league titles, including his last as the oldest player (40 yrs and 205 days) to win one. He also holds a seemingly unbreakable PL record for the most minutes without conceding a goal – an incredible 1,311 minutes or c.14 matches).
Left-back, Nathan Ake – A Dutchman who has spent all of his pro career in England, Ake is a versatile defender who can play anywhere across the back line. He is more defensively-minded than some full backs, prepared to stick to his attacker and shepherd them out of trouble rather than leaping into risky tackles. This is reflected in stats showing him to be one of the cleanest, least booked top-level defenders in Europe. Perhaps not the most adventurous in going forward, we can live with that in this strong attacking XI.
Right-back, Mario Melchiot – Right back is the only position on the field where the Netherlands cannot boast a truly world-class performer who’s played in the Premier League. Jurrien Timber may well become one, but has yet to prove he can remain injury-free. So, we’ve picked Melchiot, a solid and consistent performer in many seasons for Chelsea, Birmingham and Wigan. Melchiot was big and strong, but also surprisingly quick, and made himself extremely difficult to get past for opposition wingers. He seems like a thoroughly good bloke as well.
Centre-back, Virgil van Dijk – Perhaps the key piece in the Liverpool jigsaw that saw them return to Premier League glory in 2019/20 then again in 2024/25, Virgil van Dijk is the complete central defender. Standing 6’5” tall, van Dijk is an intimidating physical presence, very hard to beat on the ground and almost unbeatable in the air. His positional sense and game awareness are world-class, closing down space for the opposition, cutting out through balls and tackling for fun. When you add in his goalscoring threat at the other end of the pitch, you have a superb all-rounder. More than all of this, however, he’s a natural leader, with a confidence and composure that emboldens his team to produce their best performance.
Centre-back, Jaap Stam – One of the most physically imposing players in PL history, Stam, must have been a terrifying prospect for opposition strikers to face. 6’3” tall and almost as wide, he was surprisingly quick on his feet, and was an aggressive, committed tackler. In one-on-ones, he was almost impossible to beat, and if attackers did find a way round him, he was quick to recover or, failing that, not averse to the cynical foul. He won three league titles and the historic treble with United, but then, unfortunately, fell out with manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and was sold to Lazio. Ferguson, not a man with many regrets, later admitted it was his greatest mistake to let him go, a tribute to the quality of the Dutch defender.
Defensive midfield, Nigel de Jong – Just getting the nod over my personal favourite, George Boateng, de Jong does the dirty work in this XI to provide the defensive platform for the creative and goal-scoring threats in front of him. Famous, unfortunately for him, for his appalling chest-high challenge on Xabi Alonso in the 2010 World Cup final, de Jong deserves better recognition for his high work rate, aggressive tackling and tactical discipline. Not for de Jong the glamour of the long-range goal or the assist, more the satisfaction of having snuffed out the threat of the opposition.
Centre midfield, Georginio Wijnaldum – Another, like van Dijk, who was central to the resurgence of Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, Wijnaldum was a box-to-box midfielder who contributed handsomely at both ends of the pitch. In defence he was hard-working, and once on the ball, incredibly difficult to shake off it. In attack he provided great balance for Liverpool’s overlapping full-backs, and was noted for his well-timed, incisive late runs into the box to create chances. He may, perhaps, have played it a tiny bit safe, but that’s ok with the wealth of attacking talent alongside him in this XI.
Attacking midfield, Dennis Bergkamp – Probably the greatest Dutch import into English football, Bergkamp shone for more than a decade in the most successful Arsenal side of recent times. Possessed of a superb first touch and clinical in the art of finishing, Bergkamp scored some of the most memorable goals ever seen for both Arsenal and Holland. His footballing intelligence was off the scale, with an ability always to find space for himself, and to see space for others before they had seen it themselves. His partnership with Thierry Henry was one for the ages.
Attacking midfield, Arjen Robben – It’s a tough call between Robben and Marc Overmars, but Robben just edges it on account of his stellar career at Bayern Munich after leaving Chelsea in 2007. Robben was notoriously one-footed, but, boy oh boy, what a foot. A brilliant dribbler at pace, defenders knew that Robben would cut in from the right to get onto his favoured left foot, but were powerless to stop him. He simply terrorised opposition full backs, beating them for fun and making assists and scoring in almost equal measure. His ability to break down stubborn defences was key to Chelsea’s breakthrough league title in 2004/05 and to retaining it in the following season.
Centre forward, Ruud Van Nistelrooy – Ruud van Nistelrooy was an ‘old fashioned’ striker who scored almost all of his goals for Man United from inside the box. Utterly cold-blooded, he was a clinical finisher who could score with either of his feet and with his head. His super-strength, like all great goalscorers, was his instinct for where the ball was going to fall, and his ability to put himself in the right position at the right time. His scoring record at United was phenomenal – 150 goals in 219 games – and he maintained a record of more than a goal every two games throughout his career.
Centre forward, Robin Van Persie – A more rounded player than van Nistelrooy, Robin van Persie may have been not quite as clinical a finisher, but he probably contributes more overall to the team. Technically gifted, van Persie had an exquisite first touch and a wand of a left-foot. He was prepared to drop deep if necessary to link up play and create space for his wingers, but had the speed and awareness to move forward fast to get onto the end of chances. He could score from close and from distance, often producing spectacular goals. Whilst his most famous goal came in the 2014 World Cup with his flying header against Spain, his best came as part of a hat-trick against Villa in 2013 – a stunning left foot volley from outside the box on the end of a long Rooney pass. Utter class.
Unlucky not to make the team
There are many players from the Netherlands who would make it into any other country’s top PL XI, but the competition is unbelievably tough for this one. Here’s a high-quality XI of some of superb players we couldn’t find a place for.
Goalkeeper – Ed de Goey
Defenders – Micky van de Ven, John Heitinga, Giovanni van Bronkhorst, Patrick van Aanholt
Midfield – Ryan Gravenberch, George Boateng, Rafael van der Vaart, Marc Overmars
Attack – Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Dirk Kuyt
And some of the worst to play in the Premier League
- Winston Bogarde – Signed on a lucrative four-year contract by Chelsea, but soon discarded by new manager, Claudio Ranieri, Bogarde famously refused to leave the club or take a pay cut for four very long years. He ‘earned’ £40k a week while doing sod all. The ultimate parasite, or simply someone who knew his rights?
- Wout Weghorst – An unconvincing striker at Burnley, Weghorst was mystifyingly taken on loan by Man United in 2023. Not a single goal came in his 17 appearances. His record for his country is actually pretty respectable, so his skills were obviously not a fit for the English game.
- Donny van de Beek – A hugely promising midfielder at Ajax, van de Beek was signed for £35m by Man United in 2020. His confidence seemed to fall off a cliff, not helped by the turnover of managers at the club, and things did not improve when he was loaned to Everton. It must have been a blessed relief to him when United sold him, to Spanish side Girona, in 2024.
- Marco Boogers – Signed by Harry Redknapp despite having not seen him play, Boogers joined West Ham for £1m in 1995. Sent off in only his second appearance for a ‘horror tackle’ on Gary Neville, Boogers never started a match for the Hammers. Falsely rumoured to have returned to Holland to live in a caravan, the real story was little less interesting (he had gone back to have an injured knee treated), but Boogers’ stay was not a happy one.