Stillness and Speed: My Story Read Online Free PDF Page B

and top-level football became increasingly difficult. When a biology test prevented Dennis travelling with the team to Malmo for a Cup Winners’ Cup quarter-final, he made
his own way but had to sit out the match on the subs’ bench. Four days later, in the return leg, came his breakthrough performance. In the first match, the Swedes, coached by future England
manager Roy Hodgson, had unnerved Ajax with their fierce, hard-running game and won 1-0. For the return, Dennis would have to face the experienced Swedish international full-back Torbjörn
Persson. Before the match, Bruins Slot presented his dossiers. Dennis was surprised. ‘He knew everything about the other team. He’d say: “That defender is semi-professional, his
day job is a postman, he’s got two kids called such and such, he’s left-footed and he likes to go forward . . .” Frankly, it went in one ear and came out the other. I didn’t
really have any use for that. My attitude was more like: “We’ll see how it goes, I’m just going to play my game and trust my speed.”’ Cruyff’s approach was more
basic still. He told Dennis: ‘That defender is an old fart, he’s useless and slow, you’re better than he is.’
    It was yet another psychological ploy. Cruyff: ‘I always told my strikers: “You’re better than the other guy.” I wanted Bergkamp to forget all about the stadium, the TV
cameras, the European trophy and focus on beating his man. “Two things can happen,” I said to him. “Either you get past him and then he won’t dare go forward any more, or
you don’t get past him and then he’ll forget about you and run forward whenever he fancies. But then I’ll tell the others: Pass everything to Bergkamp because his defender has
abandoned him. So either way it’s good.” That’s how I presented it, but of course I was always taking a risk. It was a gamble, but it usually paid off.’ Dennis did as
instructed and gave Persson a torrid night, bringing the crowd to their feet and setting up chance after chance as Ajax won a tumultuous match 3-1. But there was no time to celebrate – Dennis
had to be up early next morning for his maths class.
    * * *
    I T MUST HAVE BEEN weird for you. One minute you’re a star playing in front of thousands of screaming fans. The next you’re in a
classroom. How did you cope?
    Dennis: ‘It was very strange. You can’t be big-headed, of course. That’s not even
allowed
in Holland! “You’re playing European games? Yeah? So what?”
Of course, you’ve got some jealous people, but most of them were positive. After the game, a TV camera crew was allowed into the classroom to watch my reaction to the semi-final draw, which
was live, so they could ask me: “How do you feel about that?” So the draw happens and they say: “OK, Dennis, now how do you feel about the draw?” and I say: “Well,
it’s OK, I don’t mind.”’
    Getting in some practice for all the in-depth interviews of your later career?
    ‘Exactly! But it was all good stuff. And for the people at school it wasn’t like it was a surprise. I’d been in that class, and in the Ajax Youth for four or five years
already, so they understood the situation. And being at Ajax is already a big thing. So they knew it was coming. And to have a professional footballer in the school was something nice for them as
well, something for them to talk about.’
    Dennis was surprised by the lasting impact of his performance against the Swedes. ‘For years afterwards, people kept talking about it: “Wow, Dennis, I remember how you drove that
left-back nuts.” For me, too, it was such a thrill: playing in the first team in that stadium, coming out of the dressing room, walking down the tiled corridor, seeing the other team coming
from the opposite direction. Studs clicking on the tiles, picking up the flowers which we took onto the pitch and threw to the crowd. Seeing the red and white nets in the goals, the wonderful,
white Derby