In addition to his national fame, Lenstra was beloved in Friesland, where his contributions to both Heerenveen and regional football left a lasting legacy.

His talent was recognized internationally, with Serie A clubs, including Fiorentina, showing interest in signing him during a time when players rarely left their home countries due to the aftermath of World War II[6] .

Over the course of his career, Lenstra scored more than 500 goals, a feat achieved by only a handful of players in football history, cementing his legacy as one of the sport's greats.

At the age of 12, Syd Castle, the Scottish coach of FF Heerenveen, sought permission from Lenstra's father to allow him to join the club's youth setup.

In 1954, when professional football was introduced in the Netherlands, the already 34-year-old Abe Lenstra made the move from VV Heerenveen to the much larger SC Enschede.

Abe Lenstra became the first Friesian footballer to play for the Netherlands national team on 31 March 1940, at just 19 years old, in a 5–4 loss to Luxembourg, where he scored a goal.

Over his international career, he earned 47 caps and scored 33 goals,[9] forming key partnerships with players like Faas Wilkes and Kees Rijvers.