Johnny Rep

John Nicholaas Rep, born on 25 November 1951, is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a right winger. He remains the Netherlands’ all-time top scorer in FIFA World Cup tournaments, with seven goals. Rep was a right-footed striker for the Dutch national sides that reached the World Cup finals in 1974 (West Germany) and 1978 (Argentina). In club football, he netted the decisive goal for Ajax Amsterdam in the 1973 European Cup Final against Juventus, held in Belgrade.

He also helped SC Bastia advance to the 1978 UEFA Cup final. His attacking partnership with Rob Rensenbrink was considered a formidable force. Rep described his stint at Valencia as unpleasant, stating that the only benefit was learning Spanish. He said Bastia was the club that suited him best.

After leaving Bastia, he joined AS Saint-Étienne, where he played alongside Michel Platini. Off the pitch, Rep said he enjoyed reading novels by Harold Robbins and playing cards to relax. His career statistics and honours are as follows: Club - Ajax: Eredivisie titles (1971–72, 1972–73); European Cup wins (1971–72, 1972–73); European Super Cup wins (1972, 1973); Intercontinental Cup win (1972) - Bastia: UEFA Cup runner-up (1977–78) - Saint-Étienne: French Division 1 title (1980–81) International - Netherlands: FIFA World Cup runner-up (1974, 1978); UEFA European Championship third place (1976); Tournoi de Paris win (1978) Individual - French Division 1 Foreign Player of the Year (1977–78) Rep appears as “Rak” in the “Classic Netherlands” squad of the video game Pro Evolution Soccer 6.

The Irish indie pop band Jonny Rep is named after him. French rock band Mickey 3D, from Saint-Étienne, wrote a song in his honour. In 2024, Wilfred Genee released the single “Johnny Rep,” an adaptation of “Johnny Däpp” by Austrian DJ Lorenz Büffel.