It’s been nearly ten years since Leon Bailey nearly joined Ajax for the first time. That happened in the summer of 2013, long before he even thought of signing for Aston Villa.
It turns out this subject is still recalled by the Dutch media. And as Soccer News managed to speak to the 25-year-old this week, they asked him about that.
Bailey couldn’t join Ajax because he was too young at the time, and the Eredivisie giants couldn’t dodge the European rules, but he doesn’t sound very sad about that.
“I remember that well. It was an unfortunate situation. I can’t think about it too much anymore, because it’s in the past,” Leon Bailey told (via Soccer News).
The winger ended up moving to Anif, Genk, Bayer Leverkusen and finally Aston Villa, who he joined in a €23m move in 2021.
He insists he’s glad about all the choices he made.
“That’s why I wouldn’t say I’m fed up with the past. I’m happy with all the decisions that have been made. It was unfortunate at the time, but now I am an Aston Villa player. It turned out like this and I followed a different path.
“I therefore enjoy every moment in the Premier League. Your time as a player doesn’t last long. You have to be smart and make good decisions. At the end of the day, it comes down to hard work and achieving your goals. So far it has been a beautiful journey, I must continue in this way. I still have a long way to go and I hope that good things will come my way.”
Soccer News recall that Ajax made a second attempt to sign Bailey, and that happened last summer, then they were looking to replace Antony, who left for Manchester United. This time, Aston Villa blocked the transfer.
Featuring for Unai Emery’s side this season, the winger has five goals and three assists in 29 appearances. He has a contract with the club until 2025.
