Ahmetcan Kaplan is overjoyed that he can finally prove himself to Ajax's supporters. The Turkish defender (21) has been struggling with persistent injuries since his arrival in mid-2022 and has only played 144 playing minutes in Ajax's main squad. However, the future looks bright for the ambitious Kaplan.

“I am only now happy again,” admits Kaplan, for whom almost ten million euros were paid, in an interview with Ajax TV. “It was a difficult period. I first got injured with the Turkish national team and two months after I came here I got injured again. That was a hard blow.”

What followed was a lengthy and sometimes frustrating recovery process. “But that is now behind me and I am going to get back to it,” emphasizes Kaplan, who recently made his debut in Ajax 1 against AZ (2-0 loss). It took some getting used to for the young defender after eleven games on behalf of Jong Ajax in the Kitchen Champion Division.

“I was nervous when I came on against AZ. I played as the last man and I was back on the field for the first time after a year and a half.” Trainer John van 't Schip handed out a starting place to Kaplan against FC Utrecht (2-0 win) on Sunday, who left a good impression in a backline with three central defenders.

“I played in front of my own audience for the first time after a year and a half. I am happy that we won and that we did not concede any goals.” Kaplan is enjoying it to the fullest, because not so long ago the flag was very different. “After such a long recovery period, you start over, so to speak.”

“It was quite difficult mentally during that period. But now that I am on the field, I can support my teammates again. And they also support me. I feel that I am happy again now,” said the optimistic Kaplan after his first two appearances in Ajax's first team.

Europe

For Kaplan, his debut in Europe beckons. Aston Villa will visit on Thursday in the eighth finals of the Conference League. “It's a good test for us. I think it will be a very nice match. As long as we give 100 percent, I think we can win.”

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