Wim Jansen, footballer who went on to have a brief but glorious reign as manager of Celtic – obituary

Wim Jansen, who has died aged 75, was a footballer who played in two World Cup finals, but he is best remembered by British fans for his brief, successful stint as Celtic manager.

He will forever remain a hero to the green half of Glasgow for leading his side to the Scottish Premier League title – preventing their deadly rivals Rangers from winning it for a 10th successive time. His place in Dutch football history is also secure; his international teammate Johan Cruyff once remarked: “There are four people on the planet I will listen to if it’s about football. Wim Jansen is one of them.”

Wilhelmus Marinus Antonius Jansen was born in Rotterdam on October 28 1946, and joined Feyenoord, the city’s biggest club, as a youth player. He made his senior debut in 1965, at a time when the club, along with Ajax, were beginning to make strides in the European game.

Adept in midfield or as a sweeper, he went on to win four Dutch Eredivisie titles, as well as the European Cup in 1970, when Feyenoord beat Celtic 2-1 after extra time at the San Siro in Milan, thanks in large part to Jansen’s dominating midfield performance alongside his Dutch international teammate Wim van Hanegem and the Austrian Franz Hasil.

In 1974 he was captain as Feyenoord added to their European trophy haul when they beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 over two legs in the Uefa Cup final.

He had won his first cap in 1967, and though the team did not qualify for the 1970 World Cup, led by Cruyff they travelled to West Germany four years later as one of the favourites. In the final against the hosts in Munich they took an early lead but then took their feet off the gas and allowed the Germans to overhaul them for a 2-1 victory.

Jansen was also in the side when they were