But while a long list of Dutch stars have become household names, the country also has a history of welcoming some of Asia’s outstanding players.

From 1980s pioneers like Huh Jung-moo and Fandi Ahmad to the stars of the modern game, the Eredivisie has played host to some of the continent’s best and brightest, making it a league of interest for generations of Asian fans.

Our list features several title winners and a league top goal scorer, but which of these icons deserves the title of Asia’s best?

Here are our nominees:

Joining us to examine the nine-man shortlist announced on Friday is Jeroen Kapteijns, a seasoned football journalist for De Telegraaf, the country’s largest daily newspaper.

There is much to discuss, but when it comes to the core question of which nominee should be considered the continent’s most impactful player in Dutch football, Kapteijns found himself unable to separate two East Asian stars.

The East Asians stunned the world when they beat powerhouse Italy 1-0 in a 1966 Group Four tie to become the first nation outside of Europe and the Americas to seal a place in a FIFA World Cup quarter-final.

Pak Doo-ik scored what remains one of the FIFA World Cup's most famous goals, but it was team effort which took DPR Korea through to the last eight where they again amazed before losing 5-3 to a Eusébio-inspired Portugal.

To select the candidates for each position, we have reflected on match data from the tournament to draw up a statistics-based approach to present the outstanding performers.

We begin with five candidates for the all-important number one shirt. Review the nominees and then choose your favourite goalkeeper to helm the rearguard for this all-star XI in the poll below.

But beyond the likes of Maldini and Maradona, several Asian players have thrived in the competition, with players from all over the continent turning out for Italian clubs.

Italy’s top league, cup and super cup titles have all been won by Asian players, who have now been a regular fixture in the race for the Scudetto for more than a quarter of a century.

But who is the greatest of them all? Which player has earned the title of Asia’s Calcio king?

Here are our nominees:

It is the country that brought football to the world, and several stars from the world’s largest continent have made England a second home.

But who was the greatest of them all?

As Germany says ‘willkommen zurück’ to its top football competition, join the-AFC.com in helping to choose, from the following 10 nominees, Asia’s greatest Bundesliga player.