Date of birth: 11 December 1963
Nationality: Dutch
Playing career: Feyenoord, Pisa Calcio, Roda JC, sc Heerenveen, FC Tirol Innsbruck, SBV Excelsior
Coaching career: Feyenoord (assistant), SBV Excelsior, Trinidad & Tobago (assistant), NEC Nijmegen, Feyenoord, KRC Genk

• Developed in Feyenoord's youth department, the attacking midfielder played in the first team from 1982; his greatest success came in 1984 when he helped the Rotterdam giants, whose side included Johan Cruyff and Ruud Gullit, to the Dutch double, also winning the country's Talent of the Year prize and making his only appearance for the Netherlands in a friendly against Austria.

• As a skilled playmaker who also possessed a powerful shot, he earned the nickname Mariodona at Feyenoord; left in 1988 for Pisa, and had spells with Roda, Heerenveen and Tirol Innsbruck before ending his career in 1995 back in Rotterdam with Excelsior.

• In 2000 he became Bert van Marwijk's assistant at Feyenoord, winning the UEFA Cup in 2002; left in 2004 and the following year took over at Excelsior, whom he guided to promotion as second division champions in his first season.

• Worked as Leo Beenhakker's assistant with Trinidad & Tobago at the 2006 FIFA World Cup before taking charge of NEC, leading the club to fifth place in the Eredivisie in 2007/08 and reaching the round of 32 of the following season's UEFA Cup.

• Unable to resist the lure of Feyenoord, where he returned in summer 2009; finished fourth and reached the Dutch Cup final in his first season but his second campaign included a club record 10-0 defeat by PSV Eindhoven. Been stepped down in July 2011 but was back in football the following month, taking charge of Genk.