Name: Dirk Jacobus Willem "Dick" Nanninga
Nickname: De Lange



Country: Netherlands
Club: Roda JC Kerkrade
Position: *CF
Side: RF/BS
Age: 29-31 years (17/01/1949)

Height: 189 cm
Weight: 85 kg

Attack: 84
Defence: 58
Balance: 90
Stamina: 79
Top Speed: 75
Acceleration: 74
Response: 85
Agility: 72
Dribble Accuracy: 72
Dribble Speed: 70
Short Pass Accuracy: 72
Short Pass Speed: 73
Long Pass Accuracy: 66
Long Pass Speed: 70
Shot Accuracy: 84
Shot Power: 83
Shot Technique: 84
Free Kick Accuracy: 65
Curling: 68
Header: 95
Jump: 81
Technique: 73
Aggression: 80
Mentality: 79
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 70

Injury Tolerance: B
Condition: 6
Weak Foot Accuracy: 5
Weak Foot Frequency: 4
Consistency: 5
Growth Type: Late Peak

CARDS:

P17 - Chasing Back

SPECIAL ABILITIES: Scoring - Post Player

Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Attack Minded


INFO:
Roda JC's all-time record goalscorer, Nanninga had not turned professional until he was 23, having worked in construction and as a machine fitter. Nanninga seems to have come out of the manual of the typical number “9” of British football. Battering ram of a forward, 189 cm for 85 kg of weight, strength and courage to spare, lethal in the aerial game and practically useless if you serve the ball on the ground, especially if you ask him to run to reach it. In scoring, his head was the primary weapon, making him unbeatable in the air. Many crosses from the flanks disappeared through Nanninga's 'concrete head' into the opponent's net. He could also often be found in the back, helping the defence. One of the main characteristics of Dick Nanninga's style of play was his extreme courage. Headers in diving, overheads, clashes without ever pulling back the foot (or head) have made him one of the players with probably the most injuries in the history of football. Here is a short list: five knee ligament breaks, three leg fractures, one wrist and one hand fracture, three rib fractures, two hernias and six collarbone fractures!

To some, it may have been very much the antithesis of the Dutch approach to football at the time, but 107 goals in 225 league games for De Koempels illustrated that the age old adage of there being ‘more than one way to skin a cat’ still held true.

Nanninga earned 15 caps and scored 6 goals for the Netherlands national football team. In the 1978 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina in Buenos Aires, he scored the equalizing goal in normal time, but Argentina went on to win 3–1 in extra time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuB8hGAnuxg - documentary on him: goals on 10:30; 10:48; 11:44; 33:00;
header chance on 19:50; goal vs Argentina in 1978 WC final on 22:30
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIsrjQlAKkY - goals on 0:31; 0:43 and 1:10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkOh0VSCOQg - vs Ajax goal on 0:54
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML0YBXdYB4I - vs Switzerland 1978: assist on 0:31
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3dsnzCQU08 - vs Feyenoord 78/79
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LfZwkcCy0Q - vs Iceland 1979: 2 goals on 0:15 and 0:25
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn0Ymuzpdhg - vs Ajax 1979 header chance on 0:20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7M9HOIZC6k - vs Ajax 79/80 goal on 1:16; header chance on 3:06; 6:30; chance on 6:45
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecWGkT-9CP4 - vs France 1980: (sub in 76th min): heading on 1:24:11; technique and passing on 1:28:40;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc6-0DfNMdo - vs Greece 1980:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hS6RGUQdmQw - vs W.Germany 1980: Header shot on 5:22;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Sl3-byer14 - vs Czechoslovakia 1980 - Heading on 19:36; 19:53; 22:18; 26:00; 1-touch game on 22:50; 31:55; 37:15;