Midfield
Defensive midfielder: Frank Rijkaard
Although Rijkaard was not as good at Ajax in his second spell as he was with them in his first, the simple fact of the matter is that he is one of, if not the greatest defensive midfielders of all time and excluding him from this team would be idiotic.
Rijkaard made just over 60 appearances for Ajax after van Gaal brought him back and formed the defensive back core of the team alongside Danny Blind as Ajax became the undefeated champions of Netherlands in the 1994-95 season.
The midfielder was integral in their Champions League victory too and retired from playing soon afterwards.
(Video Courtesy: onlygoalburns YouTube Channel)
Central midfielder: Edgar Davids
Unlike Rijkaard, who spent his final years under van Gaal, Davids became a phenomenon under the management of the Dutch mastermind and is now regarded as one of the best midfielders ever.
Davids was nicknamed “Pitbull” by van Gaal due to his marking ability, aggression and hard tackling style of play. The midfielder would go on to enjoy a stellar career even after leaving Ajax but even he would attribute some of his overall success to van Gaal as his guidance was so important in Davids’ growth.
A definite entry on to this list because well, he is Edgar Davids.
(Video Courtesy: Goden Zoon YouTube Channel)
Attacking midfielder: Rivaldo
One of the greatest players of this era; one of the greatest players of any era. The 1999 Balon d'Or winner slides into this team easily.
Rivaldo was a genuine phenomenon on the field and in his peak, there was no attacking midfielder that could match him. Named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team in 1998 and 2002, a World Cup winner, Brazil’s seventh highest goalscorer, an inductee into the Brazilian Football Museum Hall of Fame – Rivaldo has achieved pretty much everything there is to achieve.
A versatile midfielder known for his ability to both score and create goals, a case can be made that he was quite simply the best player van Gaal ever managed. It’s that simple.
(Video Courtesy: HeilRJ 2ND YouTube Channel)
Right midfielder: Luis Figo
While Figo may not be remembered fondly by Barcelona fans, the fact remains that this Ballon d’Or winning midfielder is one of the best players of the last two decades.
The Portuguese attacker played under van Gaal in his first stint with Barcelona, and was one part of a famous Barcelona attack that include Rivaldo. Known for his creativity and dribbling ability, Figo at Barcelona was a phenomenal player (which is why Real Madrid came calling and broke the then transfer record for him), and on his day the Portuguese was nigh unstoppable.
(Video Courtesy: FIGAWY YouTube Channel)
Left midfielder: Arjen Robben
The second Bayern player on this list, Robben joined the Bavarians in the same year as van Gaal and he hit the ground running in his very first season.
Crowned Footballer of The Year in Germany in 2010 thanks to his impressive form, he helped his team to win the Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal Cup (where he scored two goals in the final).
Despite not being as good in the following season due to injury, Robben is still one of the best players coached by van Gaal and is now considered as one of the greatest wingers of all time. He completes this terrifying midfield.
(Video Courtesy: JavierNathaniel YouTube Channel)
