Epi Drost Explained

Epi Drost
Full Name:Eimert Drost
Birth Date:21 September 1945
Birth Place:Amersfoort, Netherlands
Death Place:Rotterdam, Netherlands
Position:Sweeper
Youthclubs1:FC Wageningen
Years1:1962–1965
Clubs1:FC Wageningen
Caps1:80
Goals1:41
Years2:1965–1966
Caps2:19
Goals2:0
Years3:1966–1980
Clubs3:FC Twente
Caps3:415
Goals3:8
Years4:1980–1982
Caps4:52
Goals4:0
Years5:1982–1983
Clubs5:FC Twente
Caps5:8
Goals5:0
Totalcaps:574
Totalgoals:49
Nationalyears1:1969–1973
Nationalcaps1:9
Nationalgoals1:0
Manageryears1:1987–1989
Manageryears2:1983–1984
Managerclubs2:DS'79
Manageryears3:1990–1995

Eimert "Epi" Drost (21 September 1945 – 27 May 1995) was a Dutch association football player and manager, best known for his time with FC Twente.

Club career

Drost was born in Amersfoort. A sweeper, made his senior debut for FC Wageningen on 23 September 1962 against De Graafschap, then had a short spell with Heracles Almelo, before joining manager Kees Rijvers at FC Twente where he would become one of the best players in the history of the club.[1] Known for his colourful lifestyle and fierce shot,[2] he played 423 league games for the club, only to be surpassed by Sander Boschker in 2006.[3] During his time at the club, Twente would finish second (behind Feyenoord) in 1974 and third in 1969 in the Eredivisie and would reach the 1975 UEFA Cup Final. His only trophy would be the 1977 KNVB Cup, he scored Twente's first goal in the final with a 30-yard piledriver.[2]

He later played for DS '79, where he was joined by long-time Twente colleague Niels Overweg,[4] before returning to Twente for a final season in which he was injured and could not save the club from relegation.

International career

Drost made his debut for the Netherlands in an April 1969 friendly match against Switzerland and earned a total of nine caps, scoring no goals. His final international was a September 1973 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Norway.[5]

Managerial career

Drost coached RBC Roosendaal, DS '79 and Hoofdklasse club STEVO, with whom he won the Dutch Sunday-amateur football title in 1994.[6]

Personal life and death

Drost was a son of former HVC and Wageningen player Selis Drost.[1]

Drost died in May 1995 of a heart attack during a game with Holland's former internationals players in Rotterdam.[7] He was chosen Twente's player of the century by the club's supporters in 2000[8] and in 2009, a statue of Mister Twente Epi Drost was erected in FC Twente's stadium.[9]

Notes and References

  1. https://www.vi.nl/nieuws/het-levensverhaal-van-een-kleurrijke-lokale-held Het levensverhaal van een kleurrijke lokale held
  2. https://www.trouw.nl/home/epi-drost-1945-1995~aaf762a0/ Epi Drost 1945 - 1995
  3. http://www.tubantia.nl/fc-twente/de-bon-vivant-en-de-fanaticus~a1a2bfce/ De bon-vivant en de fanaticus
  4. http://www.fcdordrecht.net/midden/actueel/archief/2008/02/20080207_NdV.htm Nico De Vries overleed 25 jaar geleden, herinneringen aan een 'initiator'
  5. http://www.onsoranje.nl/teams/185184/speler/9450/loopbaan Intl career stats
  6. http://www.stevo.nl/epi-drost Epi Drost + 27 mei 1995
  7. https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/1995/05/29/ex-international-epi-drost-49-overleden-7269121-a761646 Ex-international Epi Drost (49) overleden
  8. http://www.fctwente.nl/blog/2000/01/rijvers-en-drost-meest-populair/ Rijvers en Drost meest populair
  9. http://www.nu.nl/voetbal/1992466/standbeeld-voor-epi-drost.html Standbeeld voor Epi Drost