📍Utrecht, Netherlands
1964 – 1981“Marcel van Basten, always known as Marco, was born in Utrecht in October 1964 and grew up in the city, in the heart of the Netherlands. His father, Joop, had played football semi-professionally in the 1950s and encouraged Marco's love of the game, and Marco was very close to him. His older brother, Stanley, named after the English footballer Stanley Matthews, was four years older and played with him for hours in the streets outside their home, giving Marco a tough, competitive partner. He was a slim, graceful boy, and he also loved gymnastics, which gave him the balance and agility that later made his acrobatic goals possible. He joined EDO, a local amateur youth club, then spent close to a decade at UVV Utrecht, and then a season at USV Elinkwijk, another Utrecht club, scoring prolifically at every level. In 1981, at sixteen, he was spotted by Ajax and signed for the Amsterdam club. He made his Ajax debut in 1982, replacing his idol, Johan Cruyff, and scored. At AC Milan he won three Ballon d'Or awards and two European Cups, and with the Netherlands he won the 1988 European Championship, scoring a famous volley in the final. Ankle injuries ended his playing days when he was only twenty-eight, but he is remembered as one of the most elegant strikers of all time. He is known as the Swan of Utrecht, after the city where he learned to play.”
🗺️ Approximate location today
📍 Street view today