Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen says a ‘tough adjustment’ to life in a different country ruined his time with Everton.
Klaassen joined Everton from Ajax in a £24.3m deal back in 2017, arriving as part of a huge summer rebuild by the Toffees that year.
There were high hopes for the Dutchman at Goodison Park, with him having impressed in Ajax’s run to the Europa League final the previous season.
It was widely hoped he could replicate that form on Merseyside but instead, he would spend just one year at the club, making 16 appearances in all competitions before being sold to Werder Bremen the following summer.
He’s spoken regularly about his troubles at Everton since and now says living in a new country for the first time was part of the problem.
“When I moved to Everton in 2017, I played very little and not well either,” he told Kicker.
“It was a tough adjustment to be away from home for the first time. At Werder, it was also a different role and a different situation for me.”
Klaassen’s move to Bremen helped him get things back on track, with the midfielder becoming a key player for the Bundesliga club during his time there.
He’s now back at former club Ajax, having returned to the club in a £9.9m deal from Werder in October.
The midfielder has quickly established himself among their regulars once again and says he learned things at the club, like having to battle for his place if he was to avoid a repeat of what happened at Everton.
“Not only did I have to play in a different position – the six – but I also had to deal with not having the ball so often and thinking defensively,” he added.
“You can’t learn these things at Ajax because you are always superior in the game.
“What I took away from my time at Werder was that I had to adapt to playing a different kind of football than I was used to at Ajax.
“Otherwise, I would have been out again – just like at Everton.”
