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Throughout Ajax’s history, there have been legendary figures such as Rinus Michels and Johan Cruyff, whose effect on the club is well-documented. However, one player who should have a more significant standing in the club’s list of legends is all-time leading goalscorer Piet van Reenen.
Who is Piet van Reenen?
Born on 17 January 1909 in Utrecht, Van Reenen made his name at one of his home town clubs, making his UVV Utrecht debut at the age of just 17 in the team’s second game of the season away at FC Hilversum.
He went on to make 37 appearances that season, scoring 30 goals in all competitions. Van Reenen continued to impress at UVV Utrecht and caught the attention of Ajax, who signed the forward in 1929.
He hit the ground running with the Amsterdam giants, scoring 30 goals in all competitions in his debut campaign in just 27 appearances.
Van Reenen continued to impress in front of goal for the club from the Dutch capital, scoring at least 24 goals in each of his first eight seasons with the club. His most prolific season came in the 1931/32 campaign when he fired home 41 goals in 24 competitive appearances.
The forward ended his Ajax career with an incredible record of 283 goals in 242 appearances in all competitions, including 214 goals in 177 Eredivisie appearances, a record that no player has matched since. His goalscoring prowess saw him crowned as the top goalscorer in the Dutch top-flight on nine occasions.
Van Reenan initially retired in 1942 but played three games in the following season before retiring from the game permanently at the age of 33.
Despite his goalscoring exploits with Ajax, the forward only made two international appearances for the Netherlands. This was because of a falling out with Oranje boss Bob Glendenning over tactics and the team’s style of play.
The impact of Van Reenen’s goals
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Van Reenen’s goals helped Ajax in what has now become known as ‘The Golden 1930s’ for the Dutch club. It was the era that established Ajax as the leading football club in the Netherlands.
The team had won two previous Dutch top-flight titles in seasons 1917/18 and 1918/19. However, their third title didn’t arrive until season 1930/31, when Van Reenen scored 22 times in just 15 appearances in the Eredivisie and 34 in all competitions.
The first title saw the floodgates open, as the team went on to win the top flight four more times in seasons 1931/32, 1933/34, 1936/37 and 1938/39. Van Reenen’s goals played a big part in all five of Ajax’s titles in the decade.
Ajax Amsterdam’s all-time top scorer isn’t a modern legend like Cruyff, Bergkamp or Luis Suarez, but Piet van Reenen! 🏟️⚽ Playing from 1929 to 1942, Van Reenen scored an incredible 273 goals, a record still unbroken. 🔥 #Soccer #Ajax #Amsterdam #NL https://t.co/Q1RMoqNAtd
— SportXpertZ (@SportXpertZ) December 14, 2024
Without his goals, the team wouldn’t have had the success they enjoyed in that glorious period of the club’s history. In fact, without that period of success, then Ajax may not have gone on to enjoy the success they had in the future. We may not have seen the skills of the great Johan Cruyff or the managerial brilliance of Rinus Michels.
The club could have had a different history, just like Van Reenan’s former club, UVV Utrecht, which is now an amateur team that operates in the ninth tier of Dutch football.
Piet van Reenan should be a more familiar name
Considering the effect Piet van Reenen had on the club from the capital, his name is likely unfamiliar to rival fans and even some Ajax fans. That is likely because most articles talk about the great Johan Cruyff being the club’s record-ever goalscorer and don’t mention Van Reenen.
That is strange because Cruyff is credited with having scored 258 goals in his Ajax career. Van Reenen outscored the former Barcelona boss, and his accomplishments should be acknowledged.
It seems the sands of time have led to the forward almost being written out of the club’s history. However, he was without a doubt one of the best Ajax strikers and nobody can take that achievement away from him.