On 1st June 1998, Dick Advocaat
joined Rangers as head coach, succeeding Walter
Smith. His playing career in his native Holland
started in 1971 at the relatively late age of 23,
when he signed for Den Haage. He was there for
three years, before joining Breda Kekrod, moving
on to Berlo. In 1980, he joined the National
Soccer League in the USA, playing for Chicago
Stings.
In 1982 he returned to Holland to
begin a coaching career with amateur side DVSP
and two years later, in a move that startled
Dutch football, he became assistant coach to
Rinus Michels, the national team manager. In 1987
he was appointed manager of the Haarlem club,
then in 1989 became coach at Dordrecht where the
director of football was Wim Jansen. In their
first season the pair won promotion to the top
league. In 1992, Advocaat replaced Michels as
national team coach and led the Dutch team to a
quarter final place in the 1994 World Cup finals.
After the World Cup, he became
coach at PSV Eindhoven. In 1996, he won the Dutch
championship, ending the dominance of Ajax -
indeed Eindhoven won the Dutch double of league
and cup that season. Upon joining Rangers,
Advocaat said that he had 'discussed the way
ahead for Rangers Football Club with David
Murray, the chairman on several occasions.' He
continued, 'I had a very clear vision of the
direction in which I wish to take the club, and I
look forward to working with everyone at Ibrox to
ensure that this direction brings even more
success for this great club.'
Advocaat is without doubt one of
the most highly rated coaches in world football.
His former colleague Wim Jansen regards him as
one of the most astute tacticians in the game,
meticulous in his forward planning. He is also a
strict disciplinarian, but it remains to be seen
how he copes with the relaxed culture enjoyed by
Scottish footballers.
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