The official website of Dutch giants Ajax this week shares an interview with Newcastle United defender Sven Botman.
The 23-year-old was a product of the Eredivisie side’s academy, and had many stories to tell about his development there.
Botman has a lot of appreciation for what he learned at Ajax, and still remembers the people who helped him long before he joined Newcastle.
“John Heitinga was the best coach I had. He helped me to become a mature football player,” Botman told Ajax’s official channels.
Speaking of his arrival at Newcastle, he said that he brought something different to the club, as his teammates weren’t used to seeing a centre-back with his skills.
“It was my second home and made me the person I am today. At Newcastle, players often tell me that they have never seen a central defender play football that well. I was not always the best at Ajax, but the way of playing taught me what I know now.”
Botman was part of Ajax’s youth ranks between 2009 and 2020. He was still part of their B squad when he was sold to Lille for €8m.
His two years in France were more than enough to draw interest from several European sides, with Newcastle winning the race last summer to sign him in a €37m transfer.
That worked well for the Magpies, as he had 44 appearances in his first season, and Transfermarkt now already value him at €45m.
