Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk has explained the "big jump" he had to overcome when leaving Ajax to join the club.
The 21-year-old, who broke into the Leeds first-team last season has put pen to paper on a new three-and-a-half deal with the club which will run until the end of the 2023-24 season.
Struijk became a regular for the Under-23s following his January 2018 arrival from the Eredivisie giants and was a key part of the side that won the Professional Development League in 2019.
His first-team debut followed in December 2019 against Hull City and he continued to impress towards the end of the 2019/20 Championship-winning season.
That earned him a place in Marcelo Bielsa's first Premier League XI against Liverpool on the opening day of the season with Liam Cooper injured, whilst Stuijk has also filled in for Kalvin Phillips in holding midfield.
After penning fresh terms with the club, the 21-year-old has spoken about the calculated gamble he took leaving Ajax.
"I feel super happy. It's always nice to be offered a new deal," Struijk told LUTV.
"It makes me feel confident and shows me the confidence that they believe in me. I'm very happy.
"I've signed a four-year deal so I hope to achieve a lot more. To grow as a player, myself. In a couple of years, I've grown quite a lot.
"It was a big jump for me when I left Ajax, I was quite nervous, I wasn't sure whether to go. I decided to do it and ever since it's been really good.
"My first (Premier League) game was a bit of a surprise to me and then to see the level of what you're playing against, it has always been a dream and I'm currently living the dream."
