© Reuters 2002

AMSTERDAM, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Former Dutch captain Ruud Krol has been put in temporary charge of the national side for the friendly against England next month.

Ajax Amsterdam technical director Leo Beenhakker said the club had given the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) permission to take on Krol, assistant manager at Ajax, ahead of the game in Amsterdam on February 13.

Capped 83 times, Krol was a superb defender in the sides that reached two World Cup finals in the 1970s, and captained the team that lost 3-1 to hosts Argentina in the 1978 final.

Louis van Gaal quit as Dutch coach on November 30 after they failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. Beenhakker said the players wanted Krol, who worked as assistant to van Gaal, to be the new coach.

Beenhakker said Krol could also stay in charge for a friendly against Spain, like England World Cup finalists, on March 27 in Rotterdam.

Earlier this month Rangers' director of football Dick Advocaat said he had turned down the chance of becoming Dutch national coach to stay at the Scottish club.

The former PSV Eindhoven boss led the Netherlands to the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Cup.