Pan Macmillan 'deeply saddened' by Cruyff's death

Pan Macmillan non-fiction publisher Robin Harvie has said he is “deeply saddened” by the news of footballing great Johan Cruyff.

The Netherlands footballing star, who has played for Ajax and Barcelona, has died of cancer aged 68.

Pan Macmillan is set to publish Cruyff’s autobiography My Turn in October 2016 after first signing rights to the title around Frankfurt Book Fair last year in a “major” deal for the publisher. It will tell the full story of Cruyff’s unparalleled career and the philosophy that shaped his game and that of generations of footballers, managers and fans who followed.

Harvie said Cruyff was widely regarded as “one of the greatest players in football history”, winning the Ballon d’Or medal three times and leading the Dutch national team to the final of the 1974 World Cup, at which he received the Golden Ball as the player of the tournament.

Harvie said: “The team at Pan Macmillan has been deeply saddened by the tragic news announced today that Johan Cruyff, one of the greatest footballers of all time, has died after a hard-fought battle with cancer.

"In the last few months Johan had been finishing the manuscript and was hugely excited about the prospect of telling the story of his life in football, and it is desperately sad that he won’t be here to bring the book into the world. I met Cruyff last year, just before he was diagnosed, and typical to his nature he was busy coaching a football match, signing autographs and having his photograph taken with his fans. He was charming, hugely generous with his time, and it was clear to see why he was considered to have the greatest footballing brain of his generation. He will hugely missed by his fans around the world."

Harvie added that Cruyff's legacy would "live on in teams across Europe from Barcelona to Bayern Munich.”

Pan Macmillan acquired world rights to the title from The Cruyff Management.