Dutch goalkeeping legend dies

Legendary Dutch goalkeeper Jan van Beveren has passed away in Houston, Texas aged 63.

A former PSV Eindhoven and Netherlands custodian, Van Beveren is rivalled only by Edwin van der Sar as the greatest Dutchman to ever wear the goalkeeping gloves.

He made nearly 300 appearances for PSV Eindhoven from the 1970/71 season, having been plucked from fellow top-flight outfit Sparta Rotterdam.

In his 10 years at PSV he won three Eredivisie titles, two Dutch Cups and the 1978 UEFA Cup.

He was capped 32 times for Netherlands but missed Oranje’s campaigns in the 1974 and 1978 World Cups because of a long-running dispute with influential Dutch midfielder Johan Cruyff.

Following PSV’s 1980/81 season Van Beveren moved to the US to compete in the North American Soccer League with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.

When the Strikers moved to Minnesota in 1983 the Dutchman linked up with the Dallas Sidekicks, where he remained until his retirement from professional football three years later.

Van Beveren opted to stay on in the US to raise his family and served as goalkeeping coach with the Dallas Texans and director of training for Spindletop Select in the years before his death.

A PSV statement read: “He was a phenomenon as a player and was one of the country’s best goalkeepers of all time. PSV are deeply saddened by the passing of a club icon.”