Leeds United defender Pascal Struijk believes the unconventional route he took out of Ajax’s academy has helped shape him into the player he is today.
Struijk departed the Dutch giants for Leeds as a 19-year-old when it had appeared as though his time at Ajax was close to coming to an end.
Since his move to the Whites, he has not looked back. During his early days with the club, he established himself as a regular in the under-23s.
He was then handed two first team substitute appearances midway through the promotion campaign, before really making his breakthrough during the end of that season.
His 30-minute appearance in the crucial 1-0 win over Barnsley showed that he had what it takes to cope with the demands of the first team.
In the Premier League, Struijk is now an important member of Marcelo Bielsa’s squad after making 27 appearances last season and a further 12 this.
In an interview with Voetbal International, Struijk claimed that there were several people who doubted whether a move to England so early in his career was the right one, but is now delighted that he did it.
He said: “I was certainly not the best youth player at Ajax in those days. But the hidden potential was not seen either. The only thing is: what do you do about it?
“He has to show how much he wants it. That urge has grown a lot in me in recent years. I needed some help with that.
“Quite a few people had their doubts (about Leeds). Especially when I made the move to England so young, wasn’t that too quick? But everyone’s path is different.
“For me, this turned out to be the right one. I’m showing how things can also go if you’re not seen at Ajax.”
