Wim Kras passed away on Tuesday at the age of 79. The former football player of FC Volendam was the youngest player ever to play in Dutch professional football. The Volendammer made his debut in 1959 at the age of 15 years and 290 days.
Kras made his debut in 1959 in the first team of FC Volendam in the home match against Ajax (0-3 loss). Due to a lesser series of the attackers and Kras being in good shape, trainer Ger Stroker decided to set him up.
Later, Kras looked back on his debut in the premier league. “Actually, it was not that difficult to make my debut, because they were all from Volendam among themselves. It would have been more difficult at other clubs. I was accepted right away. Still, I think I was actually too young to be in the first team at that age “You are not mature, not physically, but especially not mentally. The latter is perhaps the most important. You are too young to process all the experiences.”
Between 1959 and 1974, Kras played no less than 381 matches in the first team of FC Volendam. In it he scored 94 goals for The New Orange. After his football career he worked for a long time in the training of RKAV Volendam. His son Wim Kras Jr. reached the first team of FC Volendam.