When football fans think of Irish football, they will not often draw a link between that and Dutch football, as the two leagues could not be more different in terms of locality and quality of football. Teams like Ajax have revolutionised football and won a number of Champions League and European honours, whereas the League of Ireland Premier Division was only founded as recently as 1985. However, despite this, the two footballing nations are closely linked in a surprising number of ways.
The most prominent example of this would be the legendary John Kirwan, an Irish footballer who had spells at the likes of Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea before retiring and going into management. Upon retiring in 1910, he moved to the Netherlands and became the first ever professional manager of Ajax and promptly led them to the Dutch Second Class Title and promotion to the Dutch top flight. This built the foundation for the next manager, Jack Reynolds, who often takes the spotlight as one of the best managers in Ajax history for winning the club’s first Netherlands Football League Championship title in 1917 and then going on to win the competition an impressive seven more times.
On top of this, there have been a few Irish players to arrive in the Dutch league and do very well, such as David Connoly, who scored an impressive 42 goals in 48 games on loan at Excelsior or Troy Parrot, who is currently the top scorer for AZ Alkmaar. But what about Dutch players in Ireland, which players have played in the League of Ireland and which ones have succeeded on the Emerald Isle?
Barry Maguire
The first notable Dutch footballer to have played in the League of Ireland Premier Division is Barry Maguire, a versatile midfielder who currently plays for Tweede Divisie club GVVV. Currently 35 years of age, Maguire started his footballing journey with caps for the Republic of Ireland U16 side before switching allegiance to the Netherlands and making appearances for the U18, U19 and U20 sides.
Barry Maguire has had a long career as a Dutch footballer and made over 100 appearances for Den Bosch over three separate spells as well as playing for other Dutch clubs such as Utrecht, VVV-Venlo, TEC, and as we have mentioned GVVV.
In 2018, however, Maguire made the switch to Limerick, a League of Ireland First Division side now known as Treaty United, which at the time played in the Premier Division. They are renowned for facing Real Madrid in 1980 in the European Cup and have played many games in Europe, despite never being able to claim a victory.
Maguire’s time at Limerick was short with the player only staying for a single season, in which he tried to help the club avoid relegation and played his part by scoring six goals and registering three assists in 31 outings, but was, however, unsuccessful as Limerick were relegated the same year.
Koen Oostenbrink
Day 204
Koen Oostenbrink pic.twitter.com/j2DrdYKiwr
— Dundalk player of the day (@dundalkplayer) February 5, 2025
Next up is Koen Oostenbrink, a 25-year-old midfielder who currently plays for Dainava, a Lithuanian football club. Koen Oostenbrink only made one international appearance for the Netherlands, and it came in a dramatic 9-0 win over Liechtenstein in an U17 game in which he started.
Oostenbrink began his career in Jong PSV before making the move to FC Eindhoven in 2021. After two seasons at the club, he made a move to Dundalk. His time at Dundalk was, however, short-lived as he only managed 14 appearances for the club before moving to DFK Dainava the following season.
Jermaine Sandvliet
Next up is Jermain Sandviet, a Dutch midfielder who spent the majority of his career at FC Dordrecht. Jermaine Sandvliet has made 202 appearances for Dordrecht and scored seven goals for the club in a seven-year stint.
In 2004, however, he made the move to Irish side Drogheda United and, in his only season with the club, managed 46 appearances and helped the Irish team lift the FAI Cup.
The FAI Cup is an annual knockout competition held between teams from the Republic of Ireland and Derry City. At the time in 2005, this was Drogheda United’s very first FAI Cup, cementing Sandviet’s place in Irish footballing history.
Eddie Van Boxtel
Finally, we will mention Eddie Van Boxtel, a Dutch footballer born in Amsterdam who grew up in Ballymun. During his senior career, Van Boxtel played across a number of different League of Ireland clubs such as Dundalk, Galway United, Drogheda United, Monaghan United, and Bray Wanderers, where he played his final game.
In total, Van Boxtel played over 150 games exclusively in the Republic of Ireland and even went on to manage the Irish side, Sandyhill Celtic, after his career was finished.
Conclusion
The connection between Irish and Dutch football may not always dominate headlines, but it reveals an interesting layer of the sport’s cross-cultural reach. As the League of Ireland continues to evolve, international influence, especially from football-savvy nations like the Netherlands, can only enrich its future, just like Irish players and managers have done for Dutch football.
For fans and punters alike, understanding these deeper insights could offer valuable context when partaking in quiz-like fantasy games or exploring League of Ireland Premier Division betting strategies.