From Johan Cruyff to Matthias de Ligt.. the best Ajax graduates of all time

The original source of the image

Ajax's junior graduation system is among the greatest in the world and has produced many top-tier players for a long time.

The Ajax Academy was founded on March 18, 1900, on the same day the club was founded in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam.

Ajax's ability to develop and nurture young talent has been his main strength over the last 60 years, during which time he has not only achieved domestic dominance but also European glory.

In this context, there are many players with great names in the history of football who graduated from the Ajax Academy,

Johan Cruyff

Undoubtedly one of the most influential people in football history, Johan Cruyff started his career with Ajax in 1964.

The talented winger who developed his own concept of the game played for the Dutch club for a total of 11 years, divided between two times (1964 - 1973) and then (1981 - 1983) and won 8 Dutch league titles and 3 European titles.

The iconic winger is the Dutch club's most goalscorer in history, with 194 goals in 287 games.

Cruyff has also played for Barcelona, ​​Feyenoord, Los Angeles Aztecs, Washington Diplomats and Levante.

His exceptional and different work at the Camp Nou and his main influence on a number of subsequent coaches, most notably Pep Guardiola, made him a historical icon.

Rod Kroll

A distinguished defender who had the ability to play as a central defender and a pivot, he began his professional career with Ajax in 1986, and stayed at the club for 12 years.

During his time in Amsterdam, Krul won 6 Dutch League titles, 3 European titles, 4 Dutch Cups and 2 European Cup Winners' Cups.

Kroll also played for Vancouver Whitecaps and Naples and was before retiring in 1986.

Marco van Basten

Marco van Basten graduated from the Ajax academy in 1981 and joined the first team at the age of 16 and spent 6 seasons there before moving to Milan, where he became a legend.

He is one of the most complete attacking players in history, Van Basten's career has certainly been affected by injury, he played his last game at the age of 28.

Despite that, he won the European Nations Championship with the Netherlands national team, in addition to 3 Dutch League titles, 4 Italian League titles, and 3 European titles at club level.

The player who won the Ballon d'Or 3 times is the third most goalscorer in Ajax history, with 152 goals in 172 matches.

Frank Rijkaard

One of the 1988 European Nations Cup champions, Frank Rijkaard, launched his professional career with Ajax in 1980.

After leaving the team in 1987, he spent a season on loan with Real Zaragoza before moving to Milan, where he formed an unforgettable trio with compatriots Ruud Gullit and Van Basten.

The defensive average who turned into a perfect midfielder with Arrigo Sacchi, won two league titles in the Netherlands and Italy, and won the Champions League 3 times, twice with Milan and once with Ajax, before ending his career in the team in which he grew up.

Dennis Bergkamp

The exceptional striker began his career at Ajax in 1986 and spent 7 seasons in Amsterdam, during which he won the Dutch League title and 3 European Cup Winners' Cup titles, before leaving in a resounding deal to Inter Milan.

Bergkamp struggled at the San Siro, so he left for Arsenal in 1995.

At the North London club, Bergkamp declared himself one of the 10 best players of his generation, scoring 120 goals for the Gunners, and forging an unforgettable attacking partnership with Ian Wright and then Thierry Henry.

Frank de Bor

The former Dutch defender started his professional career at Ajax in 1988, playing for the club for 11 seasons.

After the Dutch giant left, De Boer represented the Qataris Barcelona, ​​Galatasaray, Rangers, Al Rayyan and Al Shamal.

He won the Spanish League once, and starred in Ajax, winning 5 Dutch league titles and a European Champions League title.

Edwin van der Sar

Van der Sar is undoubtedly the best Dutch goalkeeper in history, having played for Ajax, Juventus, Fulham and Manchester United during his 21 years of professional football.

And as Van der Sar led Ajax to the Champions League title full of glory in 1995, he won 4 Dutch League titles and the same balance in the English Premier League.

Van der Sar was the Netherlands' most capped player in history with 130 caps, until Wesley Sneijder broke the record in 2017.

Clarence Seedorf

The only player to win the Champions League with 3 different clubs, Seedorf represented Ajax for the first time when he was 16 years and 242 days old, becoming the youngest player to participate in the club's history.

The talented midfielder spent 3 seasons at Ajax, during which he was part of the team that achieved European glory in 1995.

He won the championship again 3 times, twice with Milan and once with Real Madrid, carrying the shirt of his country on 87 occasions.

Edgar Davids

The talented and impulsive midfielder graduated from the Ajax academy and officially represented the club in 1991 and spent 5 seasons there.

He then played for Milan, Inter and Tottenham and was loaned to Barcelona before returning to Amsterdam in 2007.

Davids retired from football in 2014 after playing for England's Crystal Palace and Barnett.

Davids has won many titles in the Netherlands and Italy, the Scudetto 3 times, the Eredivisie and the Champions League with Ajax in 1995.

Patrick Kluivert

Ajax made a stunning start, the dazzling Dutch striker declared himself one of the most important strikers in the world when he led Ajax to victory over AC Milan and the Champions League when he was just 18 years old.

He ended up after that tournament in Milan itself in 1997, and in the Netherlands he won two league titles and scored 52 times in 100 participations with Ajax.

Kluivert played a season at San Siro, but his most prominent success was in 6 seasons with Barcelona, ​​in which he helped them win the Spanish League title on two occasions.

The talented striker also excelled at the international level, winning the Euro 2000 top scorer award and ending his career with 40 international goals, which was the record when he retired.

Wesley Schneider

Sneijder was a popular talent in the lower years, he spent 5 seasons in Ajax professionally before moving to one of the biggest European clubs.

Sneijder's two years at Real Madrid did not go as expected, the talented midfielder then became one of the most prominent stars in the world at Inter Milan when he won the treble in 2009-2010 before helping the Netherlands reach the 2010 World Cup final in South Africa.

Although he did not take the opportunity to stay longer at Europe's top level, Sneijder is the Netherlands' most capped player in history and is a legend at Ajax.

Raphael van der Vaart

Similar to Schneider's, he emerged as one of Amsterdam's most exciting midfielders, winning the Golden Boy award in 2003.

Van der Vaart spent 5 seasons in Ajax, and won the Eredivisie on two occasions, and the double in 2002, before moving to Hamburg.

His level in Germany made him go to Real Madrid, but like Sneijder, he did not stay long in the Spanish capital team, returning to Hamburg, where he stayed for some time and then spent two experiences in both Real Betis and Tottenham.

Nigel de Jong

Nigel de Jong may be better known for his kick at Xabi Alonso in the 2010 World Cup final, but Nigel de Jong has proven himself at Ajax as a brilliant midfield talent who has remained at a high level with the Dutch giants for 8 years.

He was the most important player on his side during the 2003-04 Eredivisie that Ajax won the title and De Jong was named Player of the Year.

De Jong was part of Manchester City's epic Premier League title win in 2012 on a dramatic day for City fans.

Christian Eriksen

One of the best playmakers of his generation, the player started in Denmark before being picked up by Ajax at the age of 16.

After two years in Ajax for the lower divisions, he entered the world of professional play with the Dutch club and continued for 5 years within its walls, to win three Eredivisie titles between 2011 and 2013.

Eriksen went to Tottenham to become one of the most important stars of the English Premier League before winning the Scudetto with Inter Milan.

Matthias de Ligt

De Ligt joined Ajax at just 9 years old, and started his professional career at the age of 17, becoming one of the most promising players to come out of the academy.

The central defender became the first defender to receive the award for the best young player in the world in December 2018, before becoming the youngest captain of Ajax in history.

De Ligt led his team to reach the semi-finals of the 2018-2019 Champions League in an unforgettable journey, before joining Juventus, where he proved himself as one of the most valuable players in the game today.