Eljero Elia returned to the Dutch fields earlier this summer. Among others FC Groningen, FC Twente and ADO Den Haag wanted to strengthen themselves with the 33-year old striker, but eventually his choice fell on FC Utrecht. In the programme Good morning Eredivisie from FOX Sports Elijah explains why he did not choose to return to ADO, where he made his debut in professional football.

“Very good, very positive”, Elijah tells about the conversation he had at ADO. “I spoke with Mo (Hamdi, general manager, ed.) and they wanted to give me everything they could. Part of the proceeds of the season tickets, for example. An own skybox, I was allowed to give concerts in the stadium, so to speak. If I wanted to organize events, such small things. They wanted to give me all the freedom, I could get my trainer’s papers.”

“You are the first soccer player who can sign a contract stating that you can give concerts,” reacts Hans Kraay junior. “I’m just saying the little things. I have a music label and in The Hague you can give events, invite artists and organise a festival. I could use ADO’s stadium for that, so to speak”, Elijah then explains ADO’s offer.

Presenter Milan van Dongen wonders why Elia didn’t choose ADO in the end. “I am a soccer player, huh. I want to perform on the pitch, they have to get players who can bring something and so we don’t relegate. I wasn’t ready to play relegation soccer or play in the right row. To be honest, Mo understood me too. It just wasn’t appreciated everywhere.”

Van Dongen wonders whether Elijah would have done it if ADO had been higher on the rankings. “Not even that yet”, answers the attacker, who made his official comeback on the Dutch fields last Friday during the game between VVV-Venlo and FC Utrecht (1-1). “At least they have a plan, a course they want to take. I played together with Aleksandar Rankovic (trainer, ed.) and Richard Knopper (assistant coach, ed.), I had a good relationship with them. That’s not why I didn’t want to go to ADO.”