I adored Cruyff, the Ajax and Holland teams he played for, and everything they stood for and stand for now. He represented more than anyone else, including Stan, what I love about football and what I want to see every week - outrageous skill, vision, arrogance, competitiveness and end product. Jago, Sexton, Venables and Bowles learned from them and brought a little bit of Total Football to West London. I spent hours as a 12 year old practicing the Cruyff turn, which I executed successfully in match conditions the grand total of once.
Huge respect and thanks to the most intelligent footballer I have had the privilege of watching.