Former Celtic boss Wim Jansen will forever be revered as a club legend for guiding the Hoops to their first league title in a decade back in 1998. The Dutchman came in after managing Japanese club Sanfrecce Hiroshima and, against all the odds, he denied Rangers the accolade of winning ten in a row.
An iconic name in European football, Jansen is set to bring out an autobiography this week. Titled ‘Meesterbrein’, the book is written by renowned author Youri van den Busken. In the publication, Wim discusses the way in which he decided to seek medical advice after reading a book about his former Dutch teammate, Piet Schrijvers, who suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, because he recognised similar symptoms.
He says: “I wonder how fast it will get to me? Will I remain as I am for a while or go downhill?
“I still enjoy the company of my children and grandchildren. I still try and go to Feyenoord home games. But with everything else, I will have to make choices.”
Wim was a superb footballer in his playing days. He won the European Cup with Feyenoord, a multitude of Dutch titles with the Rotterdam giants and Ajax, whilst he also reached the World Cup Final on two occasions with the Netherlands national team.
In terms of his managerial career, Jansen won one of Celtic’s most important league titles and gave us the gift of Henrik Larsson – possibly the greatest signing of his time in football management.
We wish Wim and his family all the best in this difficult time.
