Clarence Seedorf: Player Bio, Childhood And Career

Clarence Seedorf is a name unmistakably associated with consistency and excellence in the world of modern football. Long stays in Italy and stints in Spain’s La Liga refined the player’s already capable skillset and saw him evolve into an elite global talent. The Dutch international was exceptional and regarded as one of the greatest midfield maestros to have ever played the game.

Childhood Promise

Clarence Seedorf was born in the Caribbean country of Suriname. His talent for football was immediately evident even as a child and a passion for the game quickly developed from an early age. Seedorf’s family moved to the Netherlands and gained Dutch Citizenship when young Clarence was just four and would provide him with better opportunities to pursue his dreams in the sport.

Youth Football

At just six years old, Seedorf started his career within the youth academies of local sides VV AS ’80 and Real Almere. Yet it wasn’t long before Dutch giants Ajax recruited him under Johan Cruyff’s talent agency Urgent Scoutingteam. The company was responsible for discovering other superstars such as the de Boer brothers, Edgar Davids and Patrick Kluivert.

Style Of Play

Seedorf was technically brilliant and possessed fantastic ball control. His passing range made him an asset in both attacking and defensive roles. Seedorf’s versatility allowed him to excel in various positions including central midfield, attacking midfield and even as a wider player on occasion.

Nicknamed “Il Professore” or ‘Teacher,’ Seedorf was a hardworking and well-rounded midfield player. The Dutchman possessed great strength, stamina and pace whilst also being tactically intelligent.

Although he was primarily a central playmaker, he was more than capable as an attacking midfielder, holding player or secure in a box-to-box role. Seedorf was arguably a world class midfielder with incredible fitness and athleticism.

Success At Ajax

The Dutch international rose quickly through the ranks of Ajax’s Youth Academy and was predominantly used as a right-sided midfielder. He made his professional debut in November 1992 against Groningen aged 16 years and 242 days. At the time, Seedorf was the youngest-ever debutant in Ajax’s illustrious history until Ryan Gravenberch then went on to achieve the feat.

By 1994 he’d quickly established himself as a first choice midfielder under manager Louis van Gaal and in only his second with the club, Seedorf helped the Amsterdam side win the domestic treble – claiming the Eredivisie title, KNVB Cup and the Dutch Super Cup in the same campaign.

For such a young talent, the following season he was once again immense and in1995 helped Ajax secure their fourth European Cup after defeating AC Milan 1-0 in the final.

During his three seasons with the team Seedorf would make a total of 90 appearances, scoring 11 times and lifting four major honours.

International Breakthrough

Favouring the Netherlands over his birthplace Suriname, Seedorf received his first call-up to the Dutch national side in December 1994. His first appearance against Luxembourg came at the age of 18. Seedorf would score on his debut as ‘Oranje’ romped to a 5–0 win during this Euro 1996 qualifying match and was named in their 1996 European Championship squad.

An Italian Adventure

Seedorf chose not to extend his contract with Ajax in the aftermath of their European cup triumph success and as a result was free to leave under the Bosman ruling. Instead the Dutch international opted to sign a one-year contract with Italian side Sampdoria for a fee of £2.8 million.

He made 32 appearances and scored four times with the Serie A team finishing in eighth-place. The midfielder was as consistent as ever in amongst a side of relatively average players and sustained the performance levels achieved at Ajax. Unfortunately, Seedorf failed to secure any silverware during his brief time in Italy.

Move To Madrid

Real Madrid secured Seedorf’s services in the summer of 1996 for approx £7 million becoming an ever present during his first three seasons with Los Blancos. During his debut campaign, he helped Madrid claim a La Liga title and the following campaign was crucial in their 1998 Champions League success. Real beat Juventus 1–0 in the final with Seedorf winning his second European cup at the age of just 22.

However, under newly appointed Dutch manager Guus Hiddink, his playing time became restricted at Real Madrid and he featured only 16 times during the 1999/2000 season. Seedorf made 159 appearances at the Bernabeu and scored 20 goals.

Inter Milan

Securing a transfer back to Italy with Inter Milan for a fee of around £20 million, Seedorf’s time at the club was ultimately unsuccessful with no major honours to speak of. Towards the end of his first season, Inter reached the Coppa Italia final and the Dutch international scored Inter’s only goal yet they lost to Lazio 2–1 on aggregate. His most memorable contribution across a three-year stay in Milan were the two long-range strikes against Juventus during a 2–2 draw in March 2002.

An Established International

Around the turn of the millennium, Seedorf managed to cement his place in the Dutch national side, featuring at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Euro 2000 and 2004 – the Netherlands reaching the semi-finals in all three tournaments. He won 87 caps for the Dutch and scored a total of 11 goals for his country.

At the age of 32, Seedorf played his last game for his country during a Euro 2008 qualifying match against Slovenia, now facing tough competition from younger players including Rafael van der Vaart and Wesley Sneijder.

An AC Milan Legend

The midfield maestro switched allegiances from Inter to AC Milan in 2002. Seedorf experienced undoubtedly the most successful period of his career whilst playing for the Italian side. He won the Coppa Italia in 2003, which was the first time AC Milan had claimed the title in 26 years. Seedorf also secured his third Champions League title and became the first player to win the European Cup with a trio of different sides.

The following campaign Milan won the 2003–04 Serie A title, marking the Dutch international’s fourth league title of his career, twice with Ajax and one Spanish La Liga trophy in Madrid.

Seedorf forged a formidable partnership with Brazilian playmaker Kaká and the pair drove Milan to another Champions League final victory against Liverpool in 2007. It marked his fourth Champions League medal. Months later Seedorf won the 2007 FIFA Club World Cup and became the first European player to win the trophy with three clubs – Ajax in 1995 and Real Madrid in 1998.

The tri-factor of Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo and Seedorf became the heart of a winning machine. The three midfield powerhouses first lined up together in 2002 and remained a regular combination until 2012. Seedorf won his second Scudetto title with Milan in 201, making 36 appearances across the campaign and scoring four goals.

In 2012, the masterful midfielder was ranked seventh on a list of 20 best players of the Champions League to commemorate its twenty-year anniversary. Seedorf played one more campaign with Milan in 2012/13 before finally announcing his departure from the Serie A Side.

“I am leaving after 10 wonderful years,” Seedorf confirmed. “I leave a family.”

Brazil

In the summer of 2012, Seedorf joined Brazilian Serie A club Botafogo. For the first time in his career he registered a hat-trick when in February 2013, Seedorf struck three times against Macaé, his first game as a starter that year.

Seedorf won his first and only Brazilian honour with Botafogo. His side claimed the 2013 Campeonato Carioca league title. In June he scored his 100th goal in league competitions – converting 11 times with Ajax, on three occasions with Sampdoria and netting 15 goals for Real Madrid. He also struck eight times for Inter, scored a remarkable 47 goals for Milan and found the net 16 times with Botafogo.

In January 2014, Seedorf officially announced his retirement from professional football and became the manager to his beloved AC Milan following the sacking of Massimiliano Allegri.

Managerial Record

Seedorf’s time in management brought far less success than the heights he’d reached as a player. He had a deep understanding of the game and ability to motivate players but this didn’t always translate to glory on the pitch.

His time as AC Milan manager was relatively short-lived. Seedorf would be in charge of the team for less than six months. His win ratio was a mediocre 50%, losing nine times out of the 22 games he oversaw, with Filippo Inzaghi being named as his successor.

Seedorf continued his managerial journey with Shenzhen F.C in China for a further five months before switching to La Liga outfit Deportivo La Coruña – again only remaining as manager for a number of weeks. Perhaps his most noteworthy managerial achievement was helping the Spanish side avoid relegation.

The Dutch international’s final appointment was being named manager of the Cameroon national team in 2018 where he was joined by former teammate Patrick Kluivert as his assistant. Unfortunately, following a disappointing 2019 Africa Cup of Nations that saw Cameroon knocked out by Nigeria, Seedorf was sacked in July 2019.

After Football

Clarence Seedorf’s contributions to society as a whole extend far beyond football. As a black manager in some of the top European leagues, he contributed to breaking barriers, becoming a trailblazer for racial equality and diversity in the game.

He became the Chairman of his own Black Impact Foundation in 2004, implementing various initiatives for underprivileged children all over the world, focusing on empowering young talents and using football as a tool for social change.

Clarence Seedorf Career Stats