I was in swithering whether or not that the man from Oldenzaal was a cult hero or a player whose contribution to Celtic is often overlooked. I went with the later.
Why?
Any player that scores 38 league goals during two league winning seasons is more than a footnote and it’s only injuries plus what some would call a not pleasing on the eye style of play that is the reason he isn’t more widely regarded and missed.
Jan signed for £3.4m in August 2006 from PSV Eindhoven. This was a time when we could afford Champions League proven strikers and fully fledged Dutch Internationalists who were reaching the peak of their careers.
His debut was a sign of things to come. One down – to a Scott Brown goal – he came on during the second period to swing the game in our favour. He scored what was to prove the winning goal after Aiden McGeady had hit the post. The big man was the first to react to the rebound – he came alive in those situations – and slammed the ball home.
Then it happened. The grin that would have brought light to the darkest polar winter night. A joyous reaction of a player who loved his job and would never tire of the feeling his job gave him.
It was a heart warming reaction that we would see 44 times in 108 games.
A few weeks into career saw him score his first European goal for Celtic when he made Rio Ferdinand look foolish long before Roy Hodgson ever did. This goal disproves the lack of style theory so many have.
The collection of goals on the Celtic Viewer will remind you that he was a fantastic finsher and the sharpness of mind that only a natural striker can have. Off course for someone 6ft 3in he was pretty decent in the air but had that knack of finding space when others saw none.
In addition to that strikers instinct he had the genius of certain Nakamura trying to find him with cross balls.
The other thing that he is never given credit for was that he was Dutch meaning that he didn’t need a harpoon and a fishing net to trap a football. Add to that the very un-Dutch unselfish attribute that was part of the game then you had a player who was nothing short of valuable when fully fit (see his 51 goal season partnership with Scott McDonald).
Yes, he always seemed to be returning from knocks and his injury proneness saw the club not take the option of his final season.
Still, for a half-fit, injury prone, slow as a elephant in quicksand player he didn’t half score some important goals in what will be remembered as a successful period for the club as a whole.
His last minute winner against Inverness, which saw him get sent off for celebrating in the crowd, his double in the Scottish Cup Semi Final against St Johnstone, diving header against Barcelona, last minute winner against R*ngers and the league winning goal at Tannadice.
In this case first impressions lasted. My favourite moment was his debut goal. It summed him up. Enjoyable.
Jan Vennegoor Of Hesselink won two Leagues, a Scottish Cup and a League Cup. He left with more than medals.
“I truly believe I played for one of the biggest clubs in the world. Not too many people can say that and I’m proud to be one of the chosen few. I have treasured memories of my time at Celtic. When the day comes to reflect on my career, I will only have warm feelings about the club.”
That time has come.
Hmmmm….
Wasn’t his biggest fan. Thought he was rank rotten in the air, in comparison to Sutton and Hartson. More in Daryl Murphy class in my view when it came to using his head. Touch wasn’t brilliant and he was slow and lumbering. Yet he scored some important goals, but so did Tommy Coyne, Gerry Creaney, Daruisz Dziekanowski, Majciej Zurawski, even Kenny Miller.
Think he managed 4 goals in his last season and it was time for him to go.
Evidence proves that he wasn’t rank rotten in the air and we will never see Daryl Murphy gracing two major international competitions for a country who produces footballers that the basic entry level is to be able to trap and pass the ball.
All Celtic strikers score important goals. That’s their job. Some contribute more than others. Jan did. As I say his style (he WAS never the quickest) and unfair comparisons to past strikers (LIKE WGS to the manager before him) just cloud a scoring record that was 1 goal every 2 league games. He was also a decent partner to every striker he played with in the Hoops.
And I agree. His time was up at Celtic. Like a LOT of players that season.
Agree with you ,mickos.He most definetely rotten in the air and I questioned his spirit and bravery for a centre forward,much as I do about samaras.
Stop talking shite
you better learn some manners ya clown.
Celtics strongest 11, as it stands….. in a 4-2-3-1 formation
Keeper..?
Matthews Rogne/wanyama Mulgrew Izzy
Brown Kayal/Wanyama
Forrest Ledley Commons/Sammi
Hooper
remember a few games at Parkhead when he had trouble beating Gretna, Inverness and other SPL class defenders in the air. Guess we were just spoiled by Sutton’s aerial ability then, cos JvOH was nowhere near as good, like I said closer to Murphy than Sutton
Never said he was as good as Sutton. The service he got was dire in some of those games you mentioned.
The Space Shuttle was closer to meeting a Lee Naylor cross than JVOH. The reason we struggled was because of tactics and over coached average players.
JVOH wasn’t a Sutton but he contributed to winning two titles. He was a major factor. That’s the difference between him and a Murphy.
Unfairly reflected on as a poor player due to the amount of time he spent out on injury. If we’d signed him a few of years earlier he would have been a stand out.
Scored some very important goals for Celtic and never seemed like the typical spoiled brat footballer that, some people seem to revere, and that only decides to play when they have their contract sorted out.
I wish him all the best. Made an important contribution in turgid times and was a team player that realized he was just a solitary piece in a much larger jigsaw…unlike a certain Scott McDonald.