Like every giant of the European game, Ajax has had players who have etched their names in the club’s history with their goalscoring exploits.
Some players have been simply deadly in front of goal for the club from the Dutch capital. So, today, we will look at the club’s top five most prolific goalscorers.
Johan Cruyff
- Appearances: 329
- Goals 231
When it comes to Ajax forwards, no player can match the ability and goalscoring exploits of the great Hendrik Johannes Cruyff.
The former Dutch international is considered by many to be one of the most skilful players who ever played the beautiful game.
Not only was he skilful, but he was highly prolific in front of goal for the Dutch giants. As a player and coach, Cruyff was an innovator and was one of the rare breed of football personnel who had a successful playing and coaching career.
During his playing career, Cruyff helped Ajax to become Dutch champions on eight occasions and European Champions in three consecutive seasons from 1971 to 1973.
Sjaak Swart
- Appearances 398
- Goals 160
The winger was a teammate of Cruyff for many years, Swart earned the nickname ‘Mr Ajax’ for his 17 seasons with the Dutch giants from 1956 until 1973.
During his playing career, the son of a local fisherman, Swart’s goals from out wide helped him pick up seven Eredivisie titles and, of course, three European Cup winners medals, among other silverware during a glittering career.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
- Appearances 257
- Goals 158
Unlike Cruyff and Swarts, Huntelaar was not a product of the famed Ajax youth system. Instead, he started his professional football career with big-three rivals PSV Eindhoven.
The forward made just one first-team appearance for PSV before joining Heerenveen in 2004, a move which ignited his career.
While with the Friesland outfit, his career blossomed, as he scored 33 goals in 46 appearances. In 2006, he made the switch to Ajax and quickly turned into a club hero.
Huntelaar stayed with Ajax for just three years but enjoyed a second stint with the Amsterdammers from 2017 until 2021, when he became a hero to a new generation of fans.
It wasn’t until his second spell that the striker became a Dutch champion, twice in fact, in seasons 2018/19 and 2020-21.
Ruud Geels
- Appearances 166
- Goals 153
The striker started his professional career at Telstar. However, it was not until a switch to Feyenoord in 1966 that his career in the Eredivisie really ignited.
Geels spent four-filled years with Ajax’s arch-rivals. His move to the capital club in 1974 marked the start of the most prolific period of his playing career, as he plundered an impressive 153 goals in 166 appearances.
His strike rate is among the best goal-to-appearance ratios in the history of Ajax. He scored at least 29 Eredivisie goals in each of the four seasons in the Dutch capital.
Geel’s silverware collection may not be as impressive as some of his contemporaries, but he still won both the Eredivisie and the European Cup during his Ajax career.
Marco van Basten
- Appearances 172
- Goals 152
The former Netherlands international and head coach is, for many, among the best number nines that the game has ever produced.
Van Basten is already an icon of Dutch football, but his legend would have been bigger had not been for his career ending at just 30 years of age. In fact, the forward played his last game at the tender age of just 28.
The forward came through the famed Ajax youth academy, and from 1981 until 1987, he fired home an impressive 152 goals in just 172 appearances for the Dutch giants before a big move to Italian giants AC Milan in 1987.
During his playing career, Van Basten won the Eredivisie title on three occasions while also helping his team to claim the 1987 European Cup Winners’ Cup.
While with Milan, the striker not only won the Scudetto on four occasions, but he won the European Cup twice in seasons 1988/89 and 1989/90, among numerous other trophies and personal awards, including winning the Ballon d’Or on three occasions in 1988, 1989 and 1992.
Van Basten returned to Ajax as head coach in the summer of 2008. However, unfortunately, his spell as head coach was underwhelming, and he left the following summer because his team failed to qualify for the Champions League.
Who were your favourite Ajax forwards of all time?