Former Ajax player Henk Groot has passed away at the age of 84. Ajax announces this on its website today. The born Zaandijker grew into a real goal machine at Ajax. Between 1959 and 1970 he scored no fewer than 207 times for the club. He did that in 305 official duels.
At Ajax, Groot would eventually become national champion four times and take the top scorer title twice. Groot scored 42 goals in the 1960/61 season. Only PSV striker Coen Dillen managed to score more often in one Eredivisie season (43 times in 1956/1957).
Groot interrupted his period at Ajax in 1963 by transferring to Feyenoord for a record amount of 250,000 guilders. He did not do bad there either: in Rotterdam he scored 34 times in 54 matches. In 1965 Groot returned to Amsterdam, where he would play 101 more games from then on. His career came to an abrupt end in 1969 when he was kicked during an international match against Poland and tore his knee ligaments.
lists
Thanks to his enormous goal production, Henk Groot’s name is on top scorers lists to this day. On that of Ajax, Groot is in fourth place, behind Piet van Reenen (273 goals), Johan Cruijff (271) and Sjaak Swart (228).
After his career, Groot became team manager at Ajax for a while. According to the Ajax website, he later became ‘an active member’ of Lucky Ajax, the club of former Ajax players. Although his health had deteriorated in recent years, he was still regularly seen in the Johan Cruijff Arena in recent years. Today Groot passed away in a nursing home in Zaandam.
minute of silence
because of the death of Jody Lukokic Ajax would keep a minute of silence prior to the duel with Heerenveen. That minute will now also be in memory of Groot. Funeral bands will also be worn.