# Jan Wouters

Jan Jacobus Wouters (born 17 July 1960) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. He played as a defensive midfielder and was Dutch Footballer of the Year in 1990.

## Career

Wouters played for several clubs including PSV, Utrecht, Bayern Munich and Ajax. He was also a Netherlands international team member (70 caps, four goals) and was hugely influential in 1988 when the Netherlands won the European Football Championship.
He was a coach of Scottish Premier League club Rangers under Dick Advocaat and then Alex McLeish. He left Rangers at the end of the 2005–06 season, along with McLeish and Andy Watson.
Wouters is infamous to England supporters after elbowing Paul Gascoigne and fracturing his cheekbone during a World Cup qualifier in 1993 at Wembley Stadium. Gascoigne was forced to wear a Phantom of the Opera style facemask to protect his fractured cheekbone until his injury healed. The following day, the Daily Mirror labelled Wouters a "Dutch thug". The match was drawn 2–2 and damaged England's hopes of qualifying for the 1994 World Cup finals in the United States, despite England leading the match 2–0.

## Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition :
| Club | Season | League | League | League | National Cup | National Cup | League Cup | League Cup | Continental | Continental | Total | Total |
| Club | Season | Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Utrecht | 1980–81 | Eredivisie | 19 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Utrecht | 1981–82 | Eredivisie | 33 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| Utrecht | 1982–83 | Eredivisie | 27 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| Utrecht | 1983–84 | Eredivisie | 31 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| Utrecht | 1984–85 | Eredivisie | 25 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Utrecht | 1985–86 | Eredivisie | 33 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| Utrecht | Total | Total | 168 | 21 | | | | | | | | |
| Ajax | 1986–87 | Eredivisie | 32 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| Ajax | 1987–88 | Eredivisie | 28 | 4 | | | | | | | | |
| Ajax | 1988–89 | Eredivisie | 22 | 0 | | | | | | | | |
| Ajax | 1989–90 | Eredivisie | 28 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| Ajax | 1990–91 | Eredivisie | 30 | 5 | | | | | | | | |
| Ajax | 1991–92 | Eredivisie | 10 | 1 | | | | | | | | |
| Ajax | Total | Total | 150 | 19 | | | | | | | | |
| Bayern Munich | 1991–92 | Bundesliga | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| Bayern Munich | 1992–93 | Bundesliga | 33 | 4 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 35 | 4 |
| Bayern Munich | 1993–94 | Bundesliga | 16 | 1 | 4 | 1 | – | – | 4 | 0 | 24 | 2 |
| Bayern Munich | Total | Total | 68 | 6 | | | | | | | | |
| PSV | 1993–94 | Eredivisie | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| PSV | 1994–95 | Eredivisie | 22 | 1 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 0 | 25 | 1 |
| PSV | 1995–96 | Eredivisie | 20 | 3 | 4 | 0 | – | – | 3 | 0 | 27 | 3 |
| PSV | Total | Total | 52 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 63 | 5 |
| Career total | Career total | Career total | 438 | 51 | | | | | | | | |

## Honours

Utrecht
* KNVB Cup: 1984–85
Ajax
* Eredivisie: 1989–90
* KNVB Cup: 1986–87
* UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1986–87
* UEFA Cup: 1991–92
Bayern Munich
* Bundesliga: 1993–94
PSV
* KNVB Cup: 1995–96
Netherlands
* UEFA European Championship: 1988
Individual
* Dutch Footballer of the Year: 1989–90
* UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 1988
* kicker Bundesliga Team of the Season: 1992–93

## In popular culture

Wouters was repeatedly referenced in a Saturday Night Live sketch on 4 February 2023 featuring James Austin Johnson as a British rapper named Milly Pounds.