When Leo Beenhakker took over as coach of Trinidad and Tobago in April last year, he inherited a side who, once again, were watching their dreams of reaching the World Cup slip away.

After battling their way into the final stage of the CONCACAF qualifying zone, they were bottom of the group, with just one point from three games when the 63-year-old cigar-smoking Dutchman replaced Bertille St Clair at the helm.

What followed was nothing short of a miracle, as Beenhakker breathed new life into the Soca Warriors and helped them overcome Guatemala - who had beaten them 5-1 in St Clair's penultimate game in charge - and finish fourth in the qualifying group, setting up the play-off with Bahrain which they won 2-1 on aggregate to book their place in the World Cup finals for the first time.

Beenhakker has already secured his place in the hearts of the people of the two West Indian islands forever, and the much-travelled coach will no doubt be relishing the chance to pit his wits against Sweden, England and Paraguay in Germany.

It will not be the first time Beenhakker has coached in the finals, having led his homeland in the 1990 finals in Italy. There, he guided the Oranje to three draws in Group F against England, the Republic of Ireland and Egypt in a tight group in which only one match was won - by England against the African side.

Beenhakker's side finished second in the group and progressed to the second round, where they came up against eventual winners West Germany.

In a bad-tempered clash which is always best remembered for the double sending-off of Rudi Voller and Frank Rijkaard, the Dutch eventually succumbed 2-1, with Jurgen Klinsmann and Andreas Brehme on target for West Germany, and Ronald Koeman netting for the Dutch from the penalty spot.

It was his second spell as manager of the Dutch national side, having taken charge of seven matches between February 1985 and March 1986.

He began his managerial career aged 30 in 1972 when he took over at SC Cambuur in his homeland. He stayed there for three years before moving to Go Ahead Eagles for a season.

After three years out of the game, he returned to manage Dutch greats Ajax in September 1979. He guided Ajax to the title in his only full season in charge, before resigning in March 1981.

His managerial career then took him to Spain where he managed Real Zaragoza until 1984, before a spell at FC Volendam in 1985.

After his first spell in charge of Holland he moved to Real Madrid, where he enjoyed phenomenal success, winning the Primera Liga title in each of his three seasons at the helm. He added the Spanish Cup in 1989 to complete a memorable double as Real enforced their presence as the best side in Spain.

Beenhakker returned to Holland in 1989 and took over at Ajax again, where he made it four domestic titles in four years under his management by guiding the Amsterdam side to the Eredivisie title in 1990. He left Ajax in September 1991 and returned to Madrid for a second stint with Real, but was out of work again in January 1992.

Since then, his appointments have not been quite so high profile, but he has gained experience in most corners of the globe.

He moved to Grasshoppers in Switzerland for the 1992-93 season, before a two-month spell in charge of Saudi Arabia in the build-up to the 1994 World Cup finals.

Beenhakker then headed to Mexico to take charge of America, until being sacked in April 1995, and moved to Istanbulspor in Turkey.

In 1996 he returned to Mexico with Guadalajara, but once more he moved back to Holland with Vitesse Arnhem, first as coach and latterly as technical director.

In 1997 he moved to Feyenoord, where he again claimed a national title by winning the 1998-99 Eredivisie.

He quit as coach at De Kuip in April 2000 and returned, once again, to Ajax, this time as director of technical affairs that September.

He held that post until June 2003, before resigning and returning to Mexican side America for 12 months.

Following his resignation from that position, he became a technical advisor at De Graafschap, until the call came from the Soca Warriors, and he swapped Doetinchem for Port of Spain.

Of all his achievements in football, it will be in Trinidad and Tobago where he is always most fondly remembered. He turned around the fortunes of the country's national side and made dreams come true - for both players and supporters.

And, even if they lose heavily in all three of their games, this generation of players, coached by Beenhakker, already have their place in history, and it is the Dutchman who has made it all possible.