Andy van der Meijde advises FC Twente to make another attempt for Jurgen Ekkelenkamp. The former attacker thinks that the midfielder, who does not have a basic place at Ajax, fits perfectly in the team of trainer Ron Jans. Twente tried to bring Ekkelenkamp to Enschede earlier this season, but a final agreement with Ajax’s leadership never got off the ground.
“He just has to play, right? He is still young (21 years old, ed.)”, Van der Meijde explains in the online talk show FootballTime. “And I think it is a very big reinforcement for Twente, you know. I also think that he is enjoying himself at Twente because they have a great beautiful stadium, with a beautiful audience behind it. And then again get the feeling of it. playing a match every week. That is very important for such a boy. I hope he will go to Twente “, the analyst anticipates a possible rental period of Ekkelenkamp with the Tukkers.
Ten Hag usually chooses Davy Klaassen, Ryan Gravenberch and Edson Álvarez in Ajax’s midfield, which means that Ekkelenkamp has to settle for a supporting role in Amsterdam. On Sunday against AZ, when Ajax unofficially won the national title, he stayed on the bench for ninety minutes. This season, the young midfielder played twenty matches on behalf of Ajax in the Eredivisie, TOTO KNVB Cup and Champions League. In addition, he played four matches for Young Ajax in the Kitchen Champion Division.
Van der Meijde is also taking a close look at the approaching transfer of Remko Pasveer from Vitesse to Ajax. The former player is asked who should be under the bar next season with the leader: Pasveer or Maarten Stekelenburg. However, he is not sure who will be preferred by trainer Erik ten Hag. “I think André Onana is leaving, so that’s why they got Pasveer. Stekelenburg also saved Ajax a few times on Sunday against AZ with saves. I still know him from my time at Ajax, when he was the third goalkeeper. And he can play football well,” he said. so why not? “, says Van der Meijde, who then goes into the question of whether he will return to football in the short term. “Not yet at the moment. Maybe later when I’m a bit older”, Van der Meijde replies. “Maybe as a kind of team manager, I would like that. But not as a trainer or something, no.”