Faas Wilkes

1945/49 Xerxes (HOL) 71 games, 49 goals

1949/52 Inter Milan (ITA) 95 games, 47 goals

1952/53 Torino (ITA) 12 games, 1 goal

1953/56 Valencia CF (ESP) 62 games, 38 goals

1956/58 VVV Venlo (HOL) 64 games, 23 goals

1958/59 Levante (ESP) 34 games, 20 goals

1959/62 Fortuna '54 (HOL) 88 games, 33 goals

1962/64 Xerxes (HOL) 28 games, 10 goals

With the National Team :

38 caps, 35 goals

(Friendly matches: 31 caps, 31 goals)

(World Cup qualifiers: 5 caps, 1 goal)

(Olympic Games: 2 caps, 3 goals)

1st cap: March 10, 1946 against Luxembourg (6-2)

Last cap: May 14, 1961 against the GDR (1-1)

Servaas "Faas" Wilkes

Born October 13, 1923 in Rotterdam (HOL)

Died August 15, 2006 in Rotterdam (HOL)

Dutch, Striker/Second Striker, 1m80

Nickname: "II Tulipano", The Mona Lisa of Rotterdam

Faas Wilkes was born on October 13, 1923 in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. From a very young age, he was shown to have incredible talent. His game was mainly based on dribbling, dribbling with supreme elegance and formidable efficiency. Sometimes criticized for his overly personal game, he did not hesitate to slalom between different opposing defenders.

It is even said that he had a pronounced taste for humiliation through dribbling, going so far as to dribble the same players several times during the same action. Very quickly, he made a name for himself in the country and became a star of Dutch football.

His aura goes beyond borders and at the end of the 40s, he is approached by Charlton Athletic who want to recruit the player, finally, the transfer will not take place because of the Dutch Football Federation which opposes the transfer. Despite everything, they cannot prevent the departure to Italy of the superstar, he then joins Inter Milan in 1949.

His dribbling, his finishing and his passing technique fascinate the supporters of the Italian club, Faas Wilkes is then considered the first European football superstar after World War II. He is so loved, that he becomes the favorite player of many supporters despite the presence of legendary players like Amedeo Amadei or Itsvan Nyers.

The player will finally leave Inter Milan after 3 years at the club to join Torino for a season before joining Valencia CF. He plays 3 seasons there for 62 matches and 38 goals in his position as striker. In Spain, he is considered by many to be the 3rd best player in the championship behind Alfredo Di Stéfano and László Kubala.

However, the player did not win any individual trophy during his entire career and he returned to the Netherlands, making a detour to Spain again at Levante. His career with the Netherlands was very good on an individual level, he played 38 matches for his country and scored 35 times. He also remains the top scorer for the Netherlands from 1959 to 1998.

An incredible finisher, he had made a very good debut with the Dutch national team by scoring four goals in his first match against Luxembourg.

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