Jack de Gier
A versatile Dutch forward who carved out a long professional journey across multiple clubs before moving into the tactical world of management.
Born 1968 (age 58)·Dutch footballer and manager·Birthday: August 6·Generation X
Biography
Jack de Gier's career is a portrait of the dedicated journeyman footballer. As a forward, his path wasn't defined by a single famous club, but by consistent contributions across a spectrum of Dutch teams. He possessed the adaptability to play both as a striker and on the wing, offering coaches a reliable option. His playing days were a steady march through the ranks of Dutch professional football, from his beginnings to spells at clubs like FC Den Bosch, where he was a known and effective presence. After hanging up his boots, de Gier traded the pitch for the training ground, embarking on a second act in management. His coaching career has seen him guide various youth and professional sides in the Netherlands, applying the lessons learned from his own extensive playing experience to develop new talent and implement his football philosophy.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Jack was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jack Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Jack's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Enjoyed a professional playing career spanning over a decade as a forward in Dutch football.
- Successfully transitioned to football management after retirement, leading several club sides.
- Served as head coach for TOP Oss in the Dutch Eerste Divisie.
Did You Know?
He is the older brother of former professional footballer Regillio de Gier.
After managing TOP Oss, he later worked as a coach for the youth academy of PSV Eindhoven.
His son, Jorrit de Gier, is also a professional footballer.
“My role was to be ready, to contribute wherever the team needed me.”
