Netherlands great Rob Rensenbrink dies aged 72

Netherlands great Rob Rensenbrink has died aged 72, the KNVB have confirmed.

Rensenbrink starred for Anderlecht for nine years at club level while playing a key role for the outstanding Oranje national side of the 1970s, earning 46 caps.

The winger started in the 1974 and 1978 World Cup finals – both defeats – and no Dutch player has been involved in more goals (six goals, four assists) in the competition’s history.

A former team-mate of Johan Cruyff with the Oranje, Rensenbrink finished second in the Ballon d’Or voting behind Franz Beckenbauer in 1976 and third two years later as Kevin Keegan took the top prize.

He was also named in Pele’s FIFA 100 in 2004, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers.

10 – No player scored or assisted more World Cup goals for the Netherlands than Rob Rensenbrink (10 – 6 goals, 4 assists). Memorial. pic.twitter.com/TUmo4NxRF2

— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) January 25, 2020

Anderlecht posted on Twitter on Saturday: “Thank you, Robbie. In our purple hearts forever.”