Frank Rijkaard is a retired Dutch footballer often regarded as one of the greatest defensive midfielders to have ever played the game. Following his successful playing career he became a successful manager as well. Frank started showing interest in the game from an early age. He first played for the Netherlands’ biggest club Ajax Amsterdam and made his debut for the national team at the age of only 17, however he became a regular in the team within a short span of time. He helped the team win several trophies before going off to AC Milan after a short loan spell at Real Zaragoza in Spain and it was at Milan that he became the world beater with his authoritative style of play that set the tone for the modern defensive midfielders of the present day. Rijkaard went back to Ajax and played as a central defender as he helped the club win the UEFA Champions League in his last professional season. He was also a part of the European Championship winning Dutch side. He coached the Dutch national team in his first full-fledged job as a manager and then went on to manage Barcelona, which also achieved great success under him.