IT’S BABY GULLIT!
Nathan Ake’s Dutch, has dreadlocks, can score goals and wears a red and black kit
ATHLETIC and composed, with his hair in dreadlocks and scoring goals in a black and red-striped shirt, Nathan Ake rekindles memories of a young Ruud Gullit from the golden years at AC Milan.
Holland Under-21 star Ake has impressed since breaking into Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth side and has capped strong defensive displays with two goals, including Sunday’s dramatic winner against Liverpool. But as he emerged through the youth ranks at ADO Den Haag, his style drew comparisons to another Dutch master of the same vintage as 1987 European Footballer of the Year Gullit.
“I compared him to Frank Rijkaard,” said Michael Krul, who coached Ake for three years at the ADO academy. “He was quiet off the field but a leader on it, a beast.
“He is very special, the most talented player I’ve coached. Great technical ability and a fantastic mentality. I’ve traced his career and he has the ability to succeed at a club like Chelsea. One coach must give him the chance because he can handle it.’
Ake has always been ambitious and sure of his own mind. He left ADO at 12 for Feyenoord and was spotted by Chelsea at 15, playing against them in a youth tournament.
“You have to accept the way it is,” said Krul. “At ADO we take our players from amateur sides and Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord take them from us. Then the Premier League clubs come and take them.”
Chelsea invited Ake and his parents to the training complex at Cobham, where Didier Drogba came over for a chat. Like Drogba, Ake’s father Moise hails from Ivory Coast, so the meeting left an impression.
But it was the teenager who made up his own mind and told legendary Dutch manager Leo Beenhakker, then Feyenoord’s technical director, he was leaving.
“I was young, so that was difficult to say to someone like that,” said Ake. “But you have to make decisions and you get stronger and grow up faster from that.”
Talk of his transfer reached the Dutch parliament, with questions raised about the export of teenage footballers as Ake settled in London. His elder brother Cedric got a job at the Chelsea Mega Store before enrolling at the University of Roehampton.
Jeffrey Oost, a coach at Feyenoord Academy, said: “I’ve no doubt he can reach the very top, at a club like Chelsea. He was conscientious, prepared to listen and work hard in training. His mentality was perfect. He played with such energy and always with his heart.”
It was Boxing Day 2012 when Chelsea interim boss Rafa Benitez gave Ake his Premier League debut at 17, as a substitute against Norwich, and he was an unused sub in the Europa League final in 2013.
Opportunities were limited under José Mourinho and Ake resisted attempts to loan him to Vitesse Arnhem, because he feared a return to Holland was a step back.
He remained on the fringes until five games on loan at Reading in March 2015 and then spent last season at Watford, where he operated mostly at left-back and won the club’s Young Player of the Year award, and also scored against Liverpool.
Ake likes to play in midfield but is left-sided and can play centre-half, where he has broken through at Bournemouth, which has fuelled the excitement about his progress because various top clubs, including Chelsea, are in the market for a left-sided centre half.
With his pace and energy the 21-year-old fits Antonio Conte’s profile for the wide defenders in Chelsea’s back three but needs more experience.
Danish centre-half Andreas Christensen, on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, has been earmarked for Chelsea’s first-team squad next season. Christensen has more top-level experience despite being a year younger.
Chelsea technical director Michael Emenalo has always shown faith in Ake, who is under contract until 2020. Bournemouth beat fierce competition to secure him on loan.
Ake has a release clause in his loan deal to enable a return to Chelsea in January but it is not expected to be triggered while he is playing regularly for Bournemouth.
And manager Howe has convinced Ake, like he did Jack Wilshere, Jordon Ibe and Benik Afobe, that the club is a good place to develop.
“We are a growing team and we have a lot of quality,” said Ake, after the 4-3 victory against Liverpool. “We want to achieve more.
“We could have sat back and played safe and taken the 3-3 but we believed we could score and we did. It says a lot about the attitude.” – Daily Mail