Born: Rotterdam (Netherlands), 5/2/1975

Giovanni van Bronckhorst was one of two signings Dick Advocaat made from the Dutch squad which reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in France.

Unlike Dutch team-mate Arthur Numan, van Bronckhorst spent France 98 on the bench. But, at the age of 23, he had established himself as an international midfield star for the future.

Rangers faced opposition from other top European sides to capture van Bronckhorst, who Advocaat rated one of Feyenoord's finest players.

After a £5.25 million transfer deal, van Bronckhorst made his Rangers debut at left back, scoring in the 5-3 UEFA Cup victory over Shelbourne.

But he was quickly switched to his natural position in midfield for the second leg and remained there as a very influential performer all season.

Advocaat knew when he signed Van Bronckhorst that he was getting an important part of his team. He said: "I believe he will be a big influence and that is why I bought him. He'll be a key player."

His commanding midfield performances and nine goals, including the opener against Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, were proof that Advocaat was correct in his judgement.

His continued good form at the start of the new season has also brought him to the attention of Dutch national coach Frank Rijkaard, who has consistently included him in the national squad.

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