Steven Bergwijn’s stint at Tottenham started spectacularly after a goal against Manchester City but the Dutchman didn’t quite hit the same heights in the long run.
He was moved on to Ajax, where he made a bigger impact but there was always a concern he’d cost too much, that his salary was a drain and not worth the return. Subsequently, he recently sealed a move to Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad.
Players that move to the Middle East are often branded ‘money grabbers’ or stars that have become less inclined towards ambition and more inclined towards a colossal bank balance.
Criticism of that sort has been aimed at Bergwijn recently, with Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman having confirmed that his chances of playing for the Oranje have now gone up in smoke. The Dutch boss also questioned the player’s ambition.
Bergwijn has now given an interview to De Telegraaf about his move to Al-Ittihad and he tried to downplay the idea of him being a money-grabber.
When asked about whether the tag is unjustified, he said:
“I think so, because the salary at Tottenham Hotspur and Ajax was also excellent. I have played in the Eredivisie, the Premier League, the Champions League, the Europa League and at European Championships and a World Cup. I am now looking forward to this adventure.”
He went on to suggest that Ajax and their high asking price is one reason why he didn’t move elsewhere.
“I have seized this opportunity with both hands and I am simply very happy. Let us not forget that Ajax also wanted to receive another €21m for me. Then everyone can say that I should have gone to Spain, Germany or Italy, but who says that such a bid would even come from such a country. And it remained quiet from England as well.
“Nobody knows what happened behind the scenes. But don’t get me wrong. I fully support this choice.”
While Bergwijn may yet thrive in Saudi Arabia, he is still only 26-years-of-age and considering how he was regularly amongst the goals for Ajax, he could yet have stayed in Europe.
The move may have taken time, but it would have kept him in the Netherlands’ national team picture.
Bergwijn will now earn over €25m from his Al-Ittihad contract and that will have been a key factor in the move. He also suggested the Saudi league is now at least comparable to the Eredivisie.
