Born in Amsterdam on 27-2-1958, Johannes Antonious Berandus Metgod began his professional career at FC Haarlem, appearing in 32 games while scoring a goal during the 1975-76 campaign. He then moved to AZ Alkmaar, spending six seasons with the Cheese Farmers while scoring 26 goals (his most for any single team) and making 195 appearances.
He was part of the most successful era in Alkmaar history. After brothers Klaas and Cees Molenaar rescued the club from financial troubles in 1972, Metgod and company went on a spectacular run that saw them challenge Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV for Dutch supremacy.
AZ were European regulars from 1977-82 and the team won the Dutch Cup three times in span as well. Under German managers Georg Kessler, Alkmaar won the league title in 1980-81 becoming the only team from outside the Big 3 to do so between the years 1965-2009. Their title-winning side was won of the most dominant in the history of the Eeredivise, winning 27, drawing six and losing only once while scoring a club record 101 goals and conceding only 30.
AZ were denied a double at the end of the season, losing the UEFA Cup final to Ipswich, 5-4 over two legs. Metgod scored one of the goals in AZ's 4-2 victory in the second leg.
Other standouts at Alkmaar during this run included Kees Kist, the club's all-time goalscorer with 212 and the first Dutchman to win the European Golden Boot after bagging 34 in 1978-79; midfielder Jan Peters (30 goals in 120 games; defender Hugo Hovenkamp and Danish forward Kristen Nygaard, who scored 104 goals in 363 games at AZ between 1972-82.
Metgod's form at this time earned him a spot on the Dutch team in Euro 1980, along with Hovenkamp.
Having reached the pinnacle of Duth domestic football, Metgod moved to Real Madrid for the 1982-83. He made 49 appearances for Los Merengues, scoring once.
Metgod was one the move again as he was part of a busy offseason at Nottingham Forest, joining Brian Clough's side in August of 1984 for a fee of $250,000. Equally at home in midfield and defense, the 6-4 Metgod was a star at the City Ground, scoring 15 goals in 116 league matches. Not only could he stroke the ball around with great aplomb from his position in the middle of the park but he also possessed a shot of ferocious power.
That was best demonstrated with the famous 1986 goal against West Ham where he lasered in a 30-yard free kick past a diving Phil Parkes before unleashing a memorable celebration that the Guardian described thusly:
"The best goal of the 1980s and the greatest celebration of them all as well. His side having been awarded a free kick at least 30 yards from goal, Forest midfielder Johnny Metgod--a taller, funkier, less desperate version of Geroge Costanza--stepped up to take it. Subtley was not in his mind; he simply belabored the ball in a straight line, thinking (not unreasonably) that anyone getting in the way would either be taken with it or decapitated. As it arrowed into the roof of title-chasing West Ham's net, Metgod simply turned around and prodded his finger in the air five times. An innocently gleeful act which communicated the sheer violence of the strike in the style of a barstool philosopher who has slipped into "but this is what I'm saying" mode after his seventh pint."
Another memorable moment for Forest fans came during the 1984-85 season when he scored the winner against Manchester United with an almost-equally classy effort.
Despite Metgod's heroics, the Reds never challenged during his stint at the club. It threatened to be different during his final season as Forest topped the table through much of September and October of 1986. But the team couldn't keep the pace and the ended the year in eighth place. Metgod then left the city ground in the summer of 1987, joining Tottenham for a fee of $25,000.
Twenty-nine when he arrived at White Hart Lane, Metgod was perhaps already starting the downside of his career. And the London press certainly did him no favors as he was saddled with the "new Glenn Hoddle" tag. His first Spurs appearance came as a substitute against Coventry in a 2-1 loss on the opening day of the 1987-88 season. He then started in wins over Newcastle and Chelsea before finding himself on the substitutes bench for the next six games (this was the first season in which two substitutes were permitted instead of one).
Metgod then dropped out of contention altogether following a hernia operation. While he was out, David Pleat lost the manager's job amid allegations about his private life and was replaced by Terry Venables. But playing time continued to remain hard to come by and the big Dutchman didn't return to the first team until April of 1988, when Spurs lost to Queen's Park Rangers, 2-0. All told, he made 12 appearances for Spurs before being sold to Feyenoord in the summer of 1988 for $175,000.
Ironically, one of Metgod's final career highlights came in 1992 when Feyenoord drew Spurs in the UEFA Cup and the 34-year-old captain played excellently in both legs of his side's 1-0 aggregate win. He spent six years at the De Kuip, making 164 appearances and scoring 13 goals before finally hanging up his boots in 1994.
Metgod also represented the Netherlands 21 times between 1979 and 1983 scoring four times.
After retirement, Metgod went into coaching with stops at Excelsior and Feyenoord. He returned to England on 11-11-2008 when he was appointed first-team coach at Portsmouth but left in February of 2009 after manager Tony Adams was sacked. Metgod then served as first-team coach at Derby County before leaving with the rest of the staff in October of 2013 when manager Nigel Clough was dismissed.
Metgod spent the 2014 season with Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer.
Here is an interview with the big man himself, courtesy of the Sunday Post.
