Nicolás Tagliafico looks with admiration at the development of some of his young teammates at Ajax. The left back saw how Ryan Gravenberch, Devyne Rensch and Jurriën Timber quickly developed into fixed values within the team of trainer Erik ten Hag. At Rensch, Tagliafico had no idea what his position was, as the defender was tried out by Ten Hag in various places in the team.
“When he started training with us, he was left central defender”, Tagliafico remembers in conversation with Ajax TV. “Then I saw that he was centered on the right, so then I thought that was his position. And then he started as a right back. What exactly is his position? Where is this boy playing? That is very good, because regularly playing in a different position is not easy. Few players can do that. As a seventeen or eighteen year old you can join the first team at this club, because the only thing you miss is playing matches. The philosophy is the same everywhere. ”
Gravenberch’s playing also appeals to Tagliafico. “I think his personality helps him enormously”, the Argentinian starts his song of praise towards Gravenberch. “Although he is a very young player, he is often on the field and does things you wouldn’t expect from such a young player. Maybe that gives him some kind of confidence that helps him a lot when he is on the field. In that respect, Gravenberch is an example, because despite his young age he has a great future ahead of him. He has the personality and the talent. ”
On Thursday evening, Ten Hag will most likely choose Lisandro Martínez and Timber in the heart of defense. The latter is undergoing a very strong development, says Tagliafico. “Jurriën is a player who surprised me. He is an aggressive player who demarcates his territory and shows that it is difficult to pass him. I had never seen that with Dutch players. The Dutch are technically good, but make less contact and are less aggressive. Timber really impressed me in that respect. He’s a complete player. “
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