“I’d run through a wall for Don Leo!” T&T players and staff remember Leo Beenhakker

Dutch coach Leo Beenhakker passed away today at the age of 82.

Beenhakker won three titles at the helm of Real Madrid, lifted silverware with arch-rivals Ajax and Feyenoord, led Holland to the 1990 World Cup and steered Poland to their first ever European finals, the UEFA Euro 2008.

However, in Trinidad and Tobago, ‘Don Leo’ is remembered most fondly for taking the Soca Warriors to the Germany 2006 FIFA World Cup.

The Soca Warriors’ appearance in Germany made the two-island republic the smallest nation ever to play in a senior Fifa tournament at the time and earned Beenhakker the Chaconia Medal, which is Trinidad and Tobago’s second-highest national award.

Beenhakker later returned briefly in 2013 when he served as advisor to the Men’s National Senior Team when Stehpen Hart led Trinidad and Tobago to the quarterfinals of the 2013 Concacaf Gold Cup tournament.

Wired868 spoke briefly to a few of the Trinidad and Tobago players, coaches and technical staff members who worked with Beenhakker during his stints in Trinidad and Tobago:

Shaka Hislop (Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper at the 2006 World Cup):

But for Beenhakker’s arrival, I don’t think we would have gotten there (to the 2006 World Cup). As a coach and a communicator, I think he was exactly what we needed, and he got the best out of a very talented Trinidad and Tobago squad.

Yes, some of us were probably past our best at the time, myself included, but he understood how to get the best out of us—and not just the more recognisable players but also some of the local-based players like Aurtis Whitley.

He gave us what eluded us for all of our football history: a place in the FIFA World Cup.

Going into the Sweden game, he told me I would be the number three (behind Kelvin Jack and Clayton Ince in the pecking order of goalkeepers). I have a photo of us discussing that in Dortmund, and it got a little bit heated. And obviously Kelvin didn’t make it, and I played, and it remains the proudest moment in my football career.

I only saw him once since the World Cup, which was when Trinidad and Tobago were in Atlanta for a Gold Cup. I was retired; he was there as an advisor.

It was the first time I had seen him since right after our loss to Paraguay in the World Cup, where we were obviously disappointed to be going out, and the full weight of history was just dawning on us.

It was so good to see him totally away from the rigours and tension of the football environment.

We were two men who shared a special moment in our footballing history and who could just enjoy the memory of that special event. And as someone who respected Beenhakker as highly as I did, I was happy to have that embrace and have a conversation and laugh about things.

It was just a human moment that I would cherish forever. This is what he was and what he meant to me.

Stern John (Trinidad and Tobago’s all-time record goal scorer and centre-forward at the 2006 World Cup):

Words can’t fully express what he meant to me. He wasn’t just a coach—he was a father, a mentor, and one of the greatest blessings in my life.

He believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself, and people didn’t believe in me. He pushed me beyond limits I thought I had, and guided me not just as a player, but as a person.

I remember going through a goal-scoring drought right before one of the World Cup qualifiers. And he said to me: “Listen, I believe in you, you can do it, and when you do it, go straight to the naysayers and tell them…”

I don’t have to say the rest! But it meant so much more when I did score the goal, and I owe it to him entirely.

He loved me like a son, and I loved him like a father. His wisdom, warmth, and endless passion for the game will stay with me forever.

Every time I step on a field with my players now [as Saint Lucia Men’s National Senior Team head coach], I’ll carry his lessons in my heart, and his spirit in every step.

Thank you for everything, Coach. Rest well. You are deeply loved and will be forever missed.

Stephen Hart (Trinidad and Tobago coach at the 2013 Concacaf Gold Cup):

I was lucky enough to spend a Gold Cup tournament and then another couple of weeks with coach Leo Beenhakker [when he was hired by then TTFA president Raymond Tim Kee as advisor to the team].

At first, I must admit it was awkward. However, he immediately put my mind at ease after observing myself, my staff and the squad in a few sessions.

To quote him: “I am here in the shadows if you need me. If you feel uncomfortable, I will remain in the shadows.”

He never once imposed himself or ideas upon me. His curiosity and straightforward discussions were always centred on the players he observed (some he knew well) in training and games, why I utilised certain sessions and what I wished to achieve.

Some players he was familiar with, he had some words for, but he would politely ask if he could speak with them. I respected that—because who am I in comparison with the Don Leo.

On a lighter note, we had to defeat Honduras to move to the [2013 Gold Cup] quarterfinal. I sought his counsel on a decision to make five or six changes to the starting squad.

His words were direct: “I would not do it, a decision like that would take balls.”
I made the changes anyway, and when we won the game, he came into the dressing room and said loudly in front of the players: “Coach, balls of grapefruit! Balls of grapefruit!”

He was genuinely so happy for the players.

Dwight Yorke (Trinidad and Tobago 2006 World Cup captain—as relayed via TTFA Media):

I’m saddened to hear of the passing of Leo Beenhakker. In 2005–06, Leo led us with vision, discipline, and a belief that transformed our dream into history.

Under his guidance, Trinidad and Tobago reached the World Cup for the first time, and I had the honour of playing under a man who brought out the very best in us.

He was more than a tactician—he was a leader who respected the culture, earned our trust, and inspired a nation. I will always be grateful for his impact.
Rest in peace, Leo. Your legacy lives on.

Anton Corneal (Trinidad and Tobago assistant coach at the 2006 World Cup):

He gave me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work alongside him—a person with an enormous wealth of knowledge and experience. We had some of the most trusted conversations about players and staff.

His impact on football in Trinidad and Tobago was tremendous and will remain in our history forever. May he rest in peace.

Bruce Aanensen (Trinidad and Tobago team manager at the 2006 World Cup):

What I admired most about Leo was his upfront manner with the players. He allowed them to be part of setting the parameters, then held them to what was agreed.

He set high standards and expected nothing but their best. He made them understand the importance of time on and off the field.

Even when he was unhappy with performances, he knew when to address it with the players, and did it in a way that he got his point across without demoralising them.

One of my memories of him as coach was that he always had the players’ backs and would never allow outsiders or authorities to interfere with what he set out to do. He stoutly defended his players and ensured their comfort and commitment to the cause.

He never lost sight of the result we all wanted, and he got players and staff to have the same passion.

Dr Oba Gulston (Trinidad and Tobago physio at the 2006 World Cup):

Leo Beenhakker was one of the best man-managers I ever worked with. He was big on psychology, and he really understood what was required to make people tick.

He took time to understand each person as an individual, and he was able to utilise a number of strategies to bring everybody together—to make everybody feel welcome and a part of the group as well as to try and get the best out of you.

As a young physio, I was unsure of certain things and doubted myself at certain times. But he gave me the confidence, and I would say he played a big role in helping me become who I am today.

He really, really understood the whole art of management and psychology, and getting everybody together.

He is one of the first coaches I worked with who understood the whole team approach. He took time, met and discussed with each person, and always ensured he was able to come up with the best plan, utilising all resources available: from players to staff.

Cornell Glen (Trinidad and Tobago attacker at the 2006 World Cup):

In the short time I spent under coach Leo Beenhakker with the national team, he had an incredible impact on my life and career.

He showed a level of trust in me as a young player that I’ll never forget. Believing in me even before I fully believed in myself. His guidance and faith helped shape me both on and off the pitch.

Leo Beenhakker was a man of incredible charisma. His presence alone will lift the room and inspire the team. But beyond that, he instilled a level of discipline and professionalism that transformed all of us.

He demanded the best, not just in performance but in attitude and commitment, and that left a lasting mark on all of us.

It was a great privilege to play under his leadership, and I will forever be grateful for every opportunity awarded to me.

My deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones during this difficult time. May he rest in peace.

Kelvin Jack (Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper at the 2006 World Cup):

I am not sure that words can really describe how distraught I am that Leo has passed away. This is a guy who gave me a fair chance at playing for the national team in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, who had complete belief in my ability and in my quality, and who gave me so much confidence.

I always felt as though I could run through a wall for this man. He trusted me and I trusted him. He had an incredible football brain.

He could appear from the outside to be stand-offish with his players. But he was a good man who would ask me how my family was doing and talk about how my mom was.

I remember when I was injured at the World Cup, and I thought that was it, I wasn’t going to play. And he came over to me in the pool while I was doing rehab. And he said to me: “Kelvin, believe. Believe you will get fit, and my friend, you will get fit.”

I remember that to this day. I just started saying that to myself and lo and behold, a few days later, I was ready to go. I always felt as though I could run through a wall for this man.

I had absolutely no idea he would play me because Shaka [Hislop] was so good in the first two games. After our game against Paraguay, I told him that I was shocked that he played me. And he just looked at me and said: “You deserve to be straight back in for what you’ve done for your country.”

I will never forget that.

I hope he rests in eternal peace. God bless his family. My deepest and dearest condolences to his loved ones.

Densill Theobald (Trinidad and Tobago midfielder at the 2006 World Cup):

Leo Beenhakker meant everything to me. I always viewed him as a footballing father, and we had a great relationship, both on and off the field. He was the one I turned to for advice when I hung up my boots, and he pushed me to become a coach, believing I had the qualities to do something great in that path.

I always had conversations with him and shared ideas up until a year and a half ago when he said the old fox was fading and he just needed to be left alone—and I had to respect his wishes. May his soul rest in peace.

Out of all our conversations, what really stood out for me was when we went on that walk in 2013 at the Gold Cup in Atlanta.

He said to me, ‘When you become a coach one day, I don’t want you to ever make the greatest mistake a coach ever does, in terms of harbouring sentimental value to any player and letting your emotions get the better of you in your decision making.’

And it is something I hold dearly. I love all my players, but I don’t harbour sentimentality that might affect me making decisions for the good of the group.

I think he meant so much to Trinidad and Tobago football. When he came, he brought not only his experience and management style and skill. But he really created a group—a unified group, a real team that stood together in good times, great times and, most importantly, through adversity.

I remember we started the campaign very well under him when we won against Panama. But then we went to Mexico and lost, and we had back-to-back losses (after another defeat away to Costa Rica), and we had to get a result against Guatemala.

Leo Beenhakker never stopped believing, and he never doubted. He always believed. When the pressure was against us, he never withered.

A great testament to that is Stern John was under tremendous pressure for not scoring from the Trinidad public, and he kept telling Stern: keep believing, the goals will come—you have to make the difference and take us to the World Cup by scoring, by delivering.

He kept faith in Stern, and Stern really and truly came up big time for us.

Beenhakker’s legacy with Trinidad and Tobago’s football can never ever be destroyed. His name will live on in Trinidad and Tobago football forever.

Long live Don Leo!