Former stars back ‘Ajax way’

W hen, a couple of years ago, Greg Dyke’s Football Association Commission went on a fact-finding mission to Ajax to discover how the Dutch club organised themselves, they got short shrift. Ajax, with their conveyor belt of talent, coaching structure and record of achievement, were not about to share any secrets with the English.

The Commission was set up to investigate how to improve the national team’s fortunes which, now, given the current dismal state of Holland’s senior team, would suggest there was little that could be learnt there.

But something is stirring again at Ajax, as was evidenced by their demolition of Schalke in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final in Amsterdam last Thursday. Ajax won 2-0 but it was far more comprehensive than the scoreline suggested – and they did so with a team that contained nine players aged 21 or under, four of whom were teenagers.

It shows a remarkable commitment to youth – a traditional strength that has come to the fore again since the club re-established their identity. That also comes from the remarkable relationship Ajax enjoy with their former players, including assistant coaches Dennis Bergkamp and Johnny Heitinga, executive director Edwin van der Sar and technical director Marc Overmars; four millionaires who all had outstanding careers. But they also decided to go back to their former club and work the ‘Ajax way’ as many others –– Jaap Stam, the De Boer twins, Bryan Roy – have done.

And yet there is not a single English club who have a similar relationship with their former players. Why is that?